Breakpoint
by timbryanscott
Summary: A Mass Effect 1 novelization. When John Shepard is tasked with bringing a rogue spectre to justice, the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance. With a controversial team and a troubled past, it is a race against time to uncover the mysteries of the Conduit...and of the greatest threat the galaxy has ever known.
1. Chapter 1: Eden Prime

**Breakpoint**

**Author's Note:**

_I'd had this in the works for some time now, but between school, work, and life in general I didn't have much time to write. I plan on knocking out a chapter each week or so, but given the time it's taken me to do this it may be subject to change. I would like to dedicate this work to the authors Tairis Deamhan, Calinstel, venomRED, ColossusProblematic, and those on the BSN forums whose works helped to inspire my own. So, without further ado, here is my story!_

* * *

Chapter 1: Eden Prime

The commander walked at a brisk pace through the frigate, passing crewman and soldiers as he went. The SSV Normandy had just received a distress signal from Eden Prime, their current destination with the Council-funded prototype ship. What was officially a shakedown run to test the human/turian designed ship's stealth drive had just been revealed to Commander John Shepard to actually be a covert pickup operation. An archeological dig site on Eden Prime had uncovered a prothean beacon. As with all prothean technologies found, the beacon was said to an advanced device left by the space-traveling species that so famously created the Mass Relays and Mass Effect technology used in nearly every high-tech device.

_This is big, Shepard. The last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward two hundred years_. Captain Anderson's words still rung in his head, the gravity of the situation sinking in as Commander Shepard reached the elevator. Weapon schematics, technological breakthroughs, the possibilities were endless. Given the distress signal they received from the colony under attack, the assailants were probably after the same thing.

Already in full gear, Commander Shepard reached the elevator to the cargo hold, Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko already there waiting before the doors with Corporal Richard Jenkins. Both soldiers of the Alliance Navy, the two men stood in the familiar blue BDUs as they discussed the mission before them.

"Finally we get to see some action! I knew it wasn't a shakedown run!" the corporal exclaimed, anticipating the coming mission.

"Let's just try not to get carried away. Remember, we're here for the beacon. We're supposed to avoid a fight if we can," Alenko said, nodding to Shepard as he entered the elevator with them, "Commander."

"Alenko, Jenkins," he nodded back, the servicemen saluting as the elevator went into motion, "At ease, soldiers. And remember: focus, we've got a job to do."

"Easy for you to say, Commander. You fought in the Skyllian Blitz, a mission like this should be like a walk in the park for you!" Jenkins exclaimed.

For his part Shepard only gave a barely detectable smile. "I know you're eager, Jenkins, but remember to stay focused and alert. Do that and you'll have a long career ahead of you. Let's just hope we don't have to resort to heroics to get the beacon back to the Normandy."

The young man was certainly enthusiastic, something the commander had seen before from nearly every green soldier that he had served with before. _He reminds me of how I was_, he thought as the elevator reached the cargo hold, coming to a stop and allowing the door to slide down. Alenko and Jenkins stepped out and went to the lockers for their gear while Shepard focused his attention elsewhere in the cargo hold. Nihlus, the Council Spectre, was already there, arming up and checking the sights on an assault rifle. The turian spectre's height furthered his presence of authority, standing several inches taller than Shepard himself. Though mostly involved in the Alliance, the commander had heard the stories about who the Council selected to become spectres, and what they did for "the good of the galaxy."

As skeptical as he was of the power they were granted in completing their missions, he understood that any spectre was both dangerous and cunning. And with the cooperative Alliance/Council mission in-progress, any action against Nhilus while he was on the Normandy (or him towards its crew) could trigger an inter-galactic incident, given the post First Contact War relations. The commander had given Nihlus the same respect that he would of any other soldier, and had received the same treatment in turn. And as the spectre's purpose aboard the Normandy was to judge Shepard's merit for his own spectre candidacy, impressing the turian enough would grant him the honor of being the first human spectre, a great accomplishment for humanity in the eyes of the galactic community.

Upon seeing his approach, the turian looked up from his rifle and looked him in the eyes, his reptilian features appearing set and focused.

"Commander Shepard, it seems that this mission just became a lot more complicated," he said in a flanged voice, his mandibles twitching as he spoke.

"Fortunately if it goes as planned, I will witness not only your abilities in combat but also will bear witness to your ability to command. One way or another, we will have fewer missions to complete before I can cast my judgment."

"Good to know," he responded carefully, unsure of saying that fewer missions with him was good would be insulting or not. "Until then we've got a job to do," repeating the words he had spoken earlier.

"Indeed." With that, the spectre when back to checking his weapons.

Grabbing his helmet from the locker nearby, Shepard turned to find Alenko and Jenkins already geared up and waiting by the door. Their helmets, like his, had no breathing masks, as Eden Prime had an Earth-like atmosphere. Nihlus for his part seemed he would forgo a helmet. Given that he had equipment and shields that far surpassed their own, he doubted a helmet would make much of a difference.

The lift came down once again, revealing none other than Captain Anderson as he stepped out and made his way across the room to the team. A decorated war hero, it was said that he had so many medals that had he melted them all down they could be made into a life-sized statue of him.

He stopped a few paces away from the three soldiers, who offered a crisp salute.

"At ease," he gestured, continuing, "Gentlemen, you've already been briefed on the mission. You're the muscle in this operation. Go in heavy and head straight for the dig site."

"What about survivors, Captain?" Alenko asked, voicing the commander's own thoughts.

"Helping survivors is a secondary objective. The prothean beacon is your top priority!" the captain called out over the sudden gusting of wind that filled the cargo hold as the Normandy's doors slid open.

"Approaching drop point one," the pilot, flight lieutenant Jeff "Joker" Moreau, blared over the intercom. Why he had said "drop point one" was quickly answered as Nihlus approached the exit.

Apparently Jenkins was just as surprised.

"Nihlus, you coming with us?"

"I move faster on my own," came the turian's reply as he ran forward off of the cargo hold ramp.

"Nihlus will scout out ahead," Anderson continued, "He'll be feeding you status reports throughout the mission. Otherwise, I want radio silence."

"We've got his back, Captain!" The Commander said, loud enough to reach the Captain over the increasing gusts.

"Approaching drop point two."

Nodding, Anderson strode across to Shepard and clasped his hand on his shoulder.

"The mission's yours now, Shepard! Good luck!"

* * *

_Well, this is going to hell in a handcart,_ Shepard thought as he and Alenko made their way up the hills. No sooner had they landed than the team was ambushed by two drones, cutting through Jenkins' shields instantly as they tried to move up the slope and into cover. While the drones were easy to dispatch, their weapons proved to be far more formidable, and with Jenkins now dead, it was just the two of them and Nihlus. _So much for the future he had ahead of him, _he thought bitterly.

"Look, up ahead!" Alenko whispered sharply, snapping the commander back to the present. "Another pair of drones in the trees before the clearing."

"I've got the one on the right. You take the one on the left. On three," Shepard said quietly, counting.

"One…two…three!"

On his command, their rifles roaring to life as the rounds found their targets. The previously hovering drones now spiraled down to the ground, exploding on impact. Advancing forward, the two continued at a faster pace, knowing now that any other drones in the area would be alerted by the gunfire.

_"Got some burnt down buildings here commander…and a _lot_ of bodies," _crackled Nihlus' voice over the comm.

_"I'm going to check it out. I'll try to catch up with you at the dig site."_

Reaching a clearing, Shepard cautiously scanned the area. Aside from several tall rocks strewn about, the clearing before them would have as little cover as the hills behind them, leaving them vulnerable to any attack from the cliffs overlooking the valley.

Just ahead, a sprinting figure appeared around the cliff wall. Raising his weapon, Shepard saw through his scope that the figure was, in fact, a woman - apparently one of the soldiers that had appeared in the video recording they picked up alerting them of the attack. Chasing her were two more flying drones, their guns raining down upon her with little success.

"Let's move!" he shouted, sprinting towards her position with Alenko close behind. _Regardless of the priority, we could use any soldiers we can get._

The soldier deftly brought up her pistol as she slid to the ground, firing up at the drones with pinpoint accuracy. The drones destroyed, she sprung back up to take cover behind one of the rocks, swapping out for an assault rifle instead. Seeing the two of them approach her stance relaxed some, but she quickly motioned for them to take cover as well. Ducking behind one of the small boulders, Shepard snuck his head out to scan the area.

Just then, he saw movement; two synthetics, humanoid in shape, their single optics glowing brightly as they advanced slowly in the direction of where the survivor was hiding. A strange, mechanical clicking could be heard from their direction; whether they were communicating to each other or not wasn't clear. What was, however, was that they hadn't seen either of them yet, focused only on the woman's position.

Signaling Alenko, he motioned his weapon to the synthetic on the right. Nodding, Alenko aimed for the left, leaving Shepard to count to three again using his fingers.

The woman took notice and, upon seeing them spring up, also aimed around her cover and let loose on their now ambushed foe. Neither got a shot off as their three rifles bore into them, quickly dropping the robotic beings to the ground.

The woman before them stood clad in what appeared to be Phoenix armor, its telltale pink and white armor joked about amongst the Alliance. While primarily worn by women, some male officers wore it saying "real men wear pink." It certainly lacked for camouflage in most combat scenarios, though.

"Boy, you're a sight for sore eyes," she panted, evidently still out of breath from her sprint.

"Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the two-twelve. You the one in charge here sir?" she asked, addressing Shepard.

"Are you wounded Williams?"

"A few scrapes and burns, nothing serious," she exhaled, "The others weren't so lucky…" she gulped for air again, attempting to slow her breathing.

"…Oh man...we were patrolling the perimeter when the attack hit. We tried to get off a distress call, but they cut off our communications. I've been fighting for my life ever since."

"Fighting against these…things?" Shepard gestured towards the broken synthetic nearby.

"Yes sir. We had doubled back to the dig site but fell into an ambush. I…I think I'm the only one left." She paused, her breathing steadying.

"We held our position for as long as we could until the geth overwhelmed us."

"The geth haven't been seen outside the Perseus Veil in over 200 years," Alenko voiced. "Why are they here now?"

"They're probably here for the beacon. The dig site is just through this trench. It might still be there."

Nodding, Shepard spoke once again. "You're the only survivor we've seen so far and we're down a man. We could use your help, Williams."

"Aye, sir," she said, a cold fire in her eyes. "It's time for payback."

A lone gunshot reverberated across the trench's walls, its echoes coming from the dig site's direction. Raising his rifle once again, Commander Shepard motioned towards the trench.

"Move out!"

* * *

"Four more on your right!" Shepard called out, tossing a grenade at the geth closest to their cover, rewarded by the resulting shrapnel and metallic screeches of their demise.

"Give me a few more seconds!" Alenko grunted, crouching down over the last of the antimatter charges the geth had set. With Williams defending the walkway, the geth were unable to push forward as the commander hit them from the right. Another light dimmed as Shepard shot a geth's optic, the synthetic crumpling to the floor.

"Two left!"

"Just about…got it! Last charge disarmed!" Alenko rose to his feet as the last of the geth fell to Williams' shotgun, its barrel still smoking from the blast as the geth's optic dimmed. Walking over to it, she gave the disabled machine a quick stomp to its "face" as the metal dented in. "Bastard."

The three of them advanced, scanning the spaceport's docks as they went. Things had gotten ugly, fast. Upon hearing the gunshot, the team advanced through the trench into the dig site, only to find that the beacon was nowhere to be found. What they did find were colonists…impaled on spikes. The geth apparently used the spikes to turn them into something resembling cybernetic zombies, shells of what they once were. The colony was riddled with these devices, and not all of the bodies impaled upon them were fully transformed. Those that were "incomplete" in their transformation were shot down, the devices disabled to prevent more from flanking them as they passed. The team was wondering how the situation could become any worse when they came upon the spaceport…and Nihlus' body.

The gunshot from earlier had apparently found its mark, and a surviving dock worker almost found himself shot before they realized he was unarmed. The man frantically spoke about a gigantic ship that came down before the attack and later seeing Nihlus and another turian he called "Saren" speaking while he watched behind a crate. When Nihlus had turned around, Saren shot him in the back of the head, not even looking back as he left towards the spaceport's docks. The beacon had been moved from the dig site. Apparently it had been brought to the spaceport for extraction earlier that morning. Saren was now either here at the platform or long gone, and judging by the bombs left in his wake, Shepard suspected it was the latter.

A moaning was heard from their left, down by the dock's loading platform. Signaling Williams and Alenko, the three moved up with their weapons ready. The shrieks in response to their presence confirmed his suspicions that more of the "husks" were waiting for them; sure enough, the glowing eyes and greyed bodies shambled towards them, moving at an unsteady run.

The first of the five met a full shotgun blast to its face, the now headless body collapsing to the floor as the others met similar bursts of fire. While unnerving, the husks had little in the ways of protection or offense. Even so, none of them wanted to let them get too close.

With a final burst to the chest, the last husk remaining fell unceremoniously, leaving them to focus on the object behind it. The prothean beacon still remained at the spaceport, emitting a green light as it stood solitary in its place on the loading platform.

Breaking the silence, Shepard spoke into his headset.

"Normandy, this is Shepard. We've got the beacon and are ready for extraction."

Williams and Alenko moved forward to the beacon, both staring at the device while Shepard spoke with Captain Anderson and Joker.

"This is amazing! Actual working prothean technology," Alenko marveled, looking the beacon up and down.

"It wasn't doing anything like this when they dug it up," Williams agreed, "Something must have activated it."

"Well, I'm keeping my distance until we can get it secured. Until we get it to the Council we still don't know what we've got here."

Striding past her, Alenko walked over to Shepard as the commander finished his conversation with the Normandy.

"Roger that, Normandy. Shepard out." Seeing the man approach, Shepard gave him a weary smile that didn't reach his eyes.

"Tough day, Commander. Jenkins, Nihlus…"

"I know," he replied, not wanting to continue the topic. "I hope this beacon's worth it to the Council and the Alliance. I'm tired of-" he glanced over Alenko's shoulder and quickly brushed past him.

Turning, Alenko saw Williams being drawn near the beacon, its green light pulsing as a warbling sound emitted from the device. Her feet literally left the ground just as Shepard grabbed her out of the air, throwing her to the side. Now in front of the beacon, however, he found himself in the same position as she was; suddenly _he_ was drawn up off the ground and was held there before the beacon as his senses were suddenly bombarded.

Piercing noise, fleeting images, and incomprehensible sensory data bore into his mind. His body went rigid from the beacon's influence as he could only grit his teeth at the onslaught. He felt powerless, unable to move or hide from it. It was unbearable, inescapable. On the verge of unconsciousness, the beacon suddenly flashed green and shattered, throwing him backwards with explosive force. The fall barely registered in his besieged mind as darkness washed over him.


	2. Chapter 2: Hearings and Insights

**Author's Note:**

_I had this one in the works for a little while, but after some corrections I feel pretty good about it. Thanks laure for the assistance!_

_Also, I have a pretty rough week ahead, but I'll try to get my next chapter up around the 21st or 22nd. As always, thanks for reading!_

* * *

Chapter 2: Hearings and Insights

_Screams, gunfire, lungs burning…_

"Doctor Chakwas, I think he's waking up!"

Commander Shepard groaned as he felt himself edge out of sleep. Coming to his senses, he tried to rise from the cot he was in only to be hit with a wave of nausea. He opened his eyes, squinting against the harsh light.

He looked around blearily, recognizing the room as the Normandy's medical bay. Karen Chakwas, the Normandy's resident physician, stood across from him in a red and white jumpsuit as she read a data-pad.

Noticing his movement, she looked up as he sat on the side of the cot.

"You had us worried for a moment, Commander. How are you feeling?"

"…Like the morning after shore leave," he groaned, rubbing at his temples. "How long was I out?"

"Just over fifteen hours. You were knocked unconscious shortly after your interaction with the beacon.

"It's my fault that this happened, sir. The beacon exploded, a system overload maybe. I must have triggered some defense mechanism when I got near it," Williams said, stepping into view. "Lieutenant Alenko and I brought you back to the Normandy as soon as we could."

"I appreciate it," he grunted.

"Unfortunately now we'll never know what may have been the cause of the beacon's destruction. Whether due to your experience or sabotage by the geth, the point is rather moot now."

The doctor looked back to her data-pad and several charts.

"What is of more concern to me now is your wellbeing. Physically you're fine, but I detected some unusual brain activity. Abnormal beta waves, as well as an increase in your rapid eye movement while you were asleep, typically a sign of intense dreaming."

The commander stared off into space, not really looking at either of the women in the room as the memories came back.

"I…I'm not sure what I saw. Death…destruction…nothing's really clear," he said, frowning at the mental images.

"Interesting," she intoned, "I'd better add this to my report. Maybe…oh, Captain Anderson."

The Normandy's captain strode into the med bay, glancing between Shepard and the doctor.

"How's our XO holding up?" he asked, prompting Dr. Chakwas to speak.

"All other readings look normal. I think the commander is going to be fine."

"Good to hear," he replied, his focus back on Shepard, "Shepard, I need to speak with you. In private."

Williams gave the captain a crisp salute and filed out of the room along with Dr. Chakwas. Now alone, Anderson brought himself a few steps closer to the commander to continue the conversation.

"Sounds like the beacon hit you pretty hard down there. How're you holding up?"

The commander drew in a breath, readying himself for what he was about to say.

"Honestly? Not that well. I don't like losing soldiers under my command, and I'm pissed off about the geth. We went in blind. If we had more intel Jenkins could still be alive. Hell, we might have been able to get the beacon!"

Shepard's outburst, though unprecedented, did little to deter the captain.

"We can't know that for sure, Shepard, and you know it." Anderson retorted, "I know how you feel about Jenkins, hell I've been in more than my fair share of combat scenarios. Not everyone made it back each time."

"I know, sir, I just…" Although he was still angry, Shepard knew the captain was right. Looking down, he realized that he had clenched his fists when he lashed out.

"I understand," he said, relaxing. Remembering his question, he changed the subject.

"Why is Chief Williams here, sir? She's not part of the Normandy's crew."

"Ashley Williams was reassigned to the Normandy per my request. After her performance on Eden Prime, I thought we could use her skills."

"She's a good soldier," he agreed.

"Lieutenant Alenko agrees with you; that's why I had her reassigned," Anderson said patiently. "But that's not why I'm here."

The captain paused for a moment, a tired look on his face.

"Nihlus is dead," he said solemnly. "The beacon was destroyed and the geth are invading. The Council's going to want answers."

"We didn't do anything wrong done there, Captain. Hopefully the Council can see that."

"I'll stand by you and your report, Shepard," Anderson made his way over to the other side of the room, staring at the wall as he spoke.

"You're a damn hero in my books, but that's not what concerns me most. It's that other turian, Saren. Saren Arterius is a spectre, one of the best. A living legend."

"If he's working with the geth, it means he's gone rogue," he continued, turning to face Shepard. "A rogue spectre is trouble, and Saren is already dangerous as he is anti-human. He thinks we're growing too fast, trying to take over the galaxy, even. A lot of aliens think that way but don't do anything about it. Saren has; attacking one of our colonies with the geth as his allies. I don't know how or why, but I know that it must have had something to do with that beacon."

"You were there right before that beacon self-destructed. Did you see anything? Any clue of what Saren was after?" he asked, searching Shepard's face for answers.

"Just before I blacked out, I saw some kind of...vision," Shepard fumbled, finding it difficult to describe.

"A vision?" Anderson repeated, "A vision of what?"

"There were synthetics… geth maybe. Slaughtering people, razing cities…I couldn't make it all out. I'm not sure I'd even want to, sir."

The captain stood silent for a moment, as if weighing some decision in his head. When he looked at Shepard again, determination shone in his eyes.

"We have to include this in our report to the Council," he said, as if it were the only option.

Shepard blinked in surprise, not quite understanding.

"What? What are we going to tell them, I had a bad dream?" he asked sarcastically.

"We don't know what information was stored on that beacon. Prothean technological advancements, blueprints for a weapon of mass destruction, whatever it was… Saren took it. But I know Saren. I know his reputation, his politics. He believes that humans are a blight on the galaxy. This attack was an act of war."

"He has the knowledge from the beacon," he said, pacing, "And with an army of geth at his demand, he can strike at nearly every human colony we have."

_He can't really mean that, could he?_ Shepard thought. _There are billions of humans in the galaxy; Saren wouldn't stand a chance against us with just him and a small army, even the geth_. A memory of the colonists impaled on the spikes from the geth made his confidence falter. _He did it at Eden Prime, what's to say he couldn't do the same elsewhere?_

"He can't just expect to get away with attacking a colony without us gunning to take him down."

"It's not that easy. Saren's a spectre. They can go anywhere, do almost anything. And as the spectres serve as the Council's military arm, only they can have the authority to convict them of this kind of a crime."

"We prove that Saren's gone rogue, and the Council will revoke his spectre status." Shepard thought aloud, agreeing with the captain's plan.

"I'll contact the ambassador and have him request an audience with the Council. He'll want to see us as soon as we reach the Citadel. Which reminds me," he said, bringing up the intercom.

"Joker, bring us into dock once we reach the Citadel! We need to meet with the ambassador as soon as possible, understood?"

"Aye aye, Captain. ETA to the Serpent Nebula five minutes," Joker swiftly replied over the comm.

"You might as well head up to see it. For all the politics that goes on, the Citadel is the galaxy's main hub and seat of power for a reason."

With that, the captain left Shepard in the med bay to return to his quarters. Taking his advice, the commander grunted as he edged off the bed and followed suit, making his way up the stairs that spiraled around either side of the deck to the CIC. When he reached the bridge, he came upon "Joker" in the pilot's seat, making fast but precise movements on the vid-screen before him as he flew the ship.

Taking notice, the flight lieutenant turned and gave a nod and a tug of his cap in his direction before returning to the screen.

"Good timing, Commander. Was just about to bring us in to the Citadel, see that taxpayer money at work."

The Normandy emerged from the relay's transit, the pink and purple Serpent Nebula now surrounding the ship. Looking out the window, he thought he saw a shape in the distance. The glittering light that was obscured by the clouds revealed itself; a space station, massive in size, its five arms spread like a flower's petals as it stood solitary amidst the nebula. _Massive doesn't do the Citadel justice,_ he thought. The Citadel was the largest prothean construct ever found, with ach arm being 43.6 kilometers long and 2.88 km wide, housing several million inhabitants on each. In awe of the station, he was barely aware of Williams and Alenko joining them. He did notice that Williams had slightly less composure than he, nearly pressing her face against the window to get a better look.

The Destiny Ascension, the nearly two kilometer long asari flagship of the Citadel fleet, dwarfed the turian frigates and cruisers as it patrolled the space around the Citadel with them.

_I've seen a lot of things as a soldier_, Shepard thought, _but _this_ is amazing_.

* * *

"This is an outrage!" roared the human ambassador, "The Council would step in if the geth attacked a _turian_ colony!"

Anderson, Shepard, and the rest of the team waited in the human embassy as Ambassador Donnel Udina fumed before the projections of the alien Council species. The three councilors gave him pensive stares in return.

"The turians do not found colonies on the borders of the Terminus Systems, ambassador," said Councilor Valern, the salarian's amphibian features difficult for Shepard to read.

"Humanity was well aware of the risks when going out into the Attican Traverse," Councilor Tevos agreed, the blue skinned asari speaking in a cordial but firm tone, "The Council cannot send in any fleets without provoking the Terminus Systems and causing a full scale war."

"What about Saren? You can't just ignore a rogue spectre. I demand action!"

"You don't get to make demands to the Council, ambassador," the turian councilor said coldly, "You would do well to remember that."

"Citadel Security is investigating your allegations against Saren. We will discuss these charges at the hearing, not before," the asari said cooly, disconnecting the transmission.

When the holograms winked out, Ambassador Udina exhaled in frustration, turning to the four humans in his office.

"Captain Anderson," he said, "I see you brought half your crew with you."

"Only those part of the ground team on Eden Prime. In case you had any questions for them," he replied.

"I have the mission reports. I assume they're accurate?"

Anderson ignored his pointed question. "Sounds like you've convinced the Council to grant us an audience."

"They were not happy about it, but yes," came the ambassador's reply, though his impatience still shone on his face. "Saren is their top operative. They don't like him being accused of treason."

"It's the truth!" Shepard said heatedly, "Saren is a threat to every human colony out there. The Council has to listen to us. Hell, there was even an eye witness to Saren's attack and him murdering Nihlus!

"Settle down commander. You've already done enough to jeopardize your spectre candidacy. The mission on Eden Prime was a chance to prove yourself to the Council. Instead, Nihlus was killed, and the beacon was destroyed!"

Anderson cut Shepard off before things escalated between them.

"That's Saren's fault, not his! We're on the same side, Udina."

"Then we had better hope that the C-Sec investigation turns up solid evidence that we can use to support our accusations. Otherwise the Council might use this as an excuse to keep you out of the spectres." Motioning to Anderson, Udina moved towards the door as it slid open.

"Captain, come with me. I want to go over a few things before the hearing. Shepard, meet us at the Citadel Tower, top level, in exactly two hours. I'll make sure you and your team have clearance to get in."

Shepard, Alenko, and Williams waited for a moment until they were out of earshot.

"I hate politicians," Williams said with disdain.

"That's what this place is all about, Chief," Alenko voiced, a look of amusement crossing his face. "Of course, it isn't the only thing that goes on at the Citadel. We still have two hours before the hearing if anyone wants to take a look around. It's not every day that we get to be on the Presidium."

"Might as well," Shepard agreed, "Let's head out."

The Presidium Ring, as the circular center structure of the Citadel was named, was where each species' embassy was located, as well as the majority of the office jobs and apartment housing for the wealthy. As such, the three soldiers found themselves walking amongst a kaleidoscope of aliens. Salarians, turians, asari, even hanar drifted by, their pink jellyfish-like bodies glowing as they communicated with each other. Shepard's fascination of the diversity of the species present was matched only by that of the Presidium itself: an artificial lake spanned the center of the construct, its walkways lit by an imitation of a cloudy blue sky above as hundreds of cars flew overhead going about their business.

The market district was abuzz with activity, the stocks for the day displayed on large holo-screens as a multitude of buyers stood around their respective stations. The team weaved in and out of the crowded space as they passed numerous shops, displaying everything from weapons to freshly prepared foods. Shepard's mouth began to water at the tantalizing aromas.

"Big place!" Alenko said nonchalantly as they passed a group of shoppers busily going about making their purchases.

"That your professional opinion, LT?" Williams asked, glancing warily at a group of turians.

"He's right, though," Shepard cut in. "This isn't just a station. It's a city."

"This is the Presidium, it's supposed to be less crowded than the rest of the Citadel. If it's like this here, imagine how packed the Wards must be. C-Sec can't be able to track everyone coming and going."

"Well, we're not exactly out on vacation here, LT. I think we should start to head back. We've still got an hour or so left, but I don't think we-"

Shepard's omnitool suddenly chimed, Anderson's voice coming through.

"Shepard, do you read me? How close are you to the tower?"

"We're in the market district, but we were just beginning to head back. Something wrong?"

Anderson sounded worried, his voice low.

"Saren just contacted the Council. He's trying to avoid having to go through the hearing. C-Sec still hasn't turned up any evidence, and it looks like the Council's might be planning to dismiss the charges. We're stalling the Council right now with the witness from Eden Prime you mentioned, but it won't last long. Get here as fast as you can!" he said, ending the call.

"Slippery turian bastard! They're just going to let him walk!" Williams fumed.

"Change of plans," Shepard said grimly, "Everyone, double time it to the tower!"

* * *

_Could this elevator go any slower? _He wondered as they ascended up through the tower. If they weren't so pressed for time he might have enjoyed the leisurely ride up through the Citadel Tower, the Ward Arms clearly visible through the windows. As things were, however, tourism was the last thing on their minds.

The three of them quickly filed out of the elevator when they reached their destination, walking at a brisk pace across the polished floor. Red leafed trees lined the sides of the chambers, a fountain gently sprinkling water in a reflecting pool in the center. Before them lay two sets of steps, the echoes of conversation reverberating across them as they proceeded through the room. Upon reaching the first, however, they found their path blocked by two turians speaking animatedly. One was clearly upset as he raised his arms in frustration.

"Saren's hiding something! I've got a lead on him, just give me a little more time!" Shepard turned his head sharply to the turian wearing the blue C-Sec armor, apparently one of the officers investigating Saren. The turian wearing a blue and red "suit," shook his head, obviously displeased.

"And further delay the Council? No, Garrus, you've wasted enough time already. Report back to C-Sec once the hearing is through. There's been another robbery in the Wards by Flux, and I don't have enough officers in that area as it is." Without waiting for a reply, the second turian left the officer at the stairs, brushing past them without a glance. Upon approach, the officer motioned towards them and came forward.

"Commander Shepard?" he asked.

"That's me."

"Garrus Vakarian, Citadel Security. I'm the officer in charge of the investigation against Saren."

"Doesn't sound like it's going well." Williams said, a mocking undertone in her voice.

The turian either ignored it or didn't catch the sarcasm, but he looked down at the floor before he spoke again.

"C-Sec's investigation has been limited by Saren's spectre status. Almost everything he touches seems to be classified."

He raised his head again, his eyes set with determination.

"But I think he's slipped up on this, and this lead might be my chance. I'll contact you later if I find anything. In the meantime I'll head down to the Wards to appease the Executor. It's on the way, anyway. Good luck with the hearing; with the way it sounds like it's going, I think you're going to need it."

Giving them a nod on his way out, the officer briskly walked back the same way they came in, his last words lingering in Shepard's mind. _The way it sounds like it's going? That means-_

"There you are!" Captain Anderson said, relief showing in his face as he jogged down the steps. "Glad you could make it on short notice, but the hearing has already started. Come on!"

With Anderson in the lead, Shepard, Alenko, and Williams hurried up the stairs. The voices from the Council's conversation reached the group, Ambassador Udina clearly audible among them.

"The geth attack on Eden Prime was an act of war! They won't just stop at one colony. What would prevent them from doing the same elsewhere? The salarians and turians have colonized worlds bordering the Traverse, and any number of colonies could be in danger of a surprise attack from a single Mass Relay jump!"

"Is that a threat, Ambassador?"

"Sparatus, please," Tevos interrupted, glaring for a moment at the turian before Valern spoke.

"The geth attack on Eden Prime was an isolated incident, and the C-Sec investigation has of yet to come forth with convincing evidence of your charges against Saren."

Shepard reached the platform where Udina was standing, the three councilors standing across from them separated by a glass covered garden on the lower floor. A hologram of a turian's image on the opposite side of the chambers, his projection large enough for the crowd gathered on the upper levels to witness. _Must be Saren_, he thought, glancing over at the silver armored turian who looked about the room with disdain. The enlarged projection also made it necessary to look up towards the spectre; whether the psychological effect of him towering over them was intentional or not, the result was the same.

"What about Saren?" Udina was practically ranting at this point, "You all heard the witness. Saren murdered Nihlus in cold blood!"

The turian in question stood with his arms crossed, his voice harsh.

"I resent these accusations! Nihlus was a fellow spectre, and a friend. These claims are but weakly veiled attacks against the integrity of the spectres, and my own."

"The recounting of a single traumatized dock worker does not provide enough evidence on its own," Councilor Tevos said. "And with no other evidence presented, it is simply your word against his."

"Petty," Saren snorted, "but what did you expect from a _human_?"

At this, Shepard could no longer hold it in.

"Saren hates humans!" he lashed out. "That's why he attacked Eden Prime!"

"Captain Anderson," Saren cast an appraising look at Shepard, "did you really think it wise to bring your protégé responsible for the destruction of the beacon? Or are you still blaming the geth, like you have throughout this hearing?"

"The mission on Eden Prime was top secret," Shepard bristled. "The only way you could know about it was if you were there!"

"Upon Nihlus' death, his spectre files passed to me," he deflected. "I've read the reports, and I must say I'm disappointed. You humans can't even defend your own colonies without the Council's aid. You're not ready to join the Council. You're not even ready to join the spectres."

"He has no right to say that!" Ambassador Udina fumed. "That's not his decision!"

"Commander Shepard's spectre candidacy is not the purpose of this meeting," Councilor Tevos said, ever the peacemaker.

"This meeting has no purpose! As baseless as these claims are, it is insulting that they were even brought forward. You should quit wasting your time, Councilor, and mine," Saren derided.

"Councilors, there is one other outstanding issue," Anderson spoke up. "Shepard's visions. They may have been triggered by the beacon."

"Now they're using dreams as evidence?" Saren scoffed. "How am I supposed to defend my innocence against this kind of testimony?"

"I agree," Councilor Sparatus voiced. "This farce has gone on long enough."

"Do you have anything further to add, Commander Shepard?" Tevos asked, even as the councilor's body language betrayed her personal feelings on the matter. _It's over_.

"You've made your decision," Shepard said, resigned. "I won't waste my breath."

With a glance at each other, and with a shake of the turian's head, the Council cast their vote on the screens in front of them.

"In light of insufficient evidence, Saren Arterius is cleared of charge," Tevos declared.

"I'm glad to see justice was served," the spectre sneered as his hologram faded away.

Defeated, Ambassador Udina stood at the platform for a moment after the rest of the humans left. With a huff, he turned on his heel. Shepard turned, finding the ambassador shaking with rage, eyes passing over them until they rested on Anderson.

"That was our chance, and they shot it down before it could take flight. You should not have been present for the hearing, Captain. Given your history with Saren, it made them question our motives."

Shepard was stunned, shifting his gaze to Anderson's now troubled features. "Wait, you and Saren worked together?"

The captain hesitated for a moment, as if gauging his answer.

"We had an assignment together once. It… didn't go too well. People died, and I took the blame. Just more blood on Saren's hands," he said bitterly, his tone dissuading further discussion. "It will be nothing compared to what he can do now. Saren is still out there with his geth followers. He could be planning an attack on another colony as we speak - military outposts, Terra Nova, even Earth!"

"As a spectre, he's nearly untouchable," the ambassador said as he drew his hand to stroke his chin in thought. "We would have to find something irrefutable or the Council will ignore it."

"What about that C-Sec officer, Garrus Vakarian?" Alenko asked. "He said he'd be down in the Wards by Flux, he's probably our best bet."

"There might be another lead," Anderson said. "The Shadow Broker might also know what to find."

"The Shadow Broker?" Shepard asked, eyebrows raised.

"He… or she," Anderson conceded, "Is an information dealer, one of the best. No one knows his true identity, but on occasion his intel has been quite helpful to the Alliance. If there's anyone who knows where we could find what we need, it'd be him."

"For a price, of course," Udina chimed in. "No information is free."

"Well, what do you think?" Williams asked Shepard.

"I'd rather not spend too many credits on this. Let's head to the Wards."


	3. Chapter 3: The Den

**Author's Note:**

_Well, that's the last time I post a chapter when writing an expected day of release. I apologize for the wait, but my editor has had a pretty busy week this week, and so I've had to self-edit; turns out pharmacy school doesn't leave much room for free time. For those of you following this story, it's best to check out my profile for updates or progress, as I update that daily. I've probably missed a few things, but I'll post the remastered version of this chapter when I can. Thanks again to __**laure**__ for her support in editing, and thank you for your patience!_

_This chapter was modified 10/7/12, making improvements in logic, continuity, and character._

* * *

The Den

"Maybe we should have taken a cab?" Williams asked, shuffling her feet in impatience. The elevator to the Ward arm was even longer than that of the Citadel Tower's, although it went at nearly twice the speed. The three soldiers found themselves under the scrutiny of the rest of the passengers, given their full combat gear and weapons. By some bureaucratic oversight, the ground team had been allowed to keep their weapons and come as they were, as "evidence" for the hearing. With the hearing over, however, no one had approached them to have them surrender their weapons, and they were perfectly content to keep it that way.

"What, and miss this? Think of all the bonding time we're having," Shepard joked. Williams just shook her head in response, all while Alenko simply gazed out the window towards the Ward arms in silence.

"This isn't exactly my idea of a good time, Shepard." Williams said with annoyance.

"Still going with the "not on vacation" thing, huh? The hearing's over, and until C-Sec turns up the evidence we need, we might as well take time to enjoy the sights along the way. Garrus said that he'd be near the club, Flux, so we should probably check there." Shepard replied

"Going clubbing on duty, Commander?" she asked, almost flirtatiously.

He shrugged, playing along. "I wasn't planning to, but since you suggested it…"

"All right, you two. Get a room." Alenko chuckled, cutting off Williams' response.

The elevator suddenly slowed down, indicating their journey's end.

"Took long enough," Shepard muttered as the doors slid open, allowing the occupants out into the ward. Compared to the Presidium Ring, this Ward was definitely more like a city. Hundreds of aliens milled about, and bright holo-signs and advertisements covered the walls and hung above the "street." While the denizens appeared to be decidedly less wealthy than those on the Presidium, neither did they seem to be in hardship, dressed with the latest in fashions and walking with a purpose. Falling in line with the crowd, the team went in search of the club, Alenko bringing up his omni-tool to locate it on the map.

"Looks like the club is just around the corner here, past this clinic. Can already hear the music."

"So, we just head in there and go asking around?" Williams asked. "Because honestly I'd think it'd be hard to find someone in these crowds, even if it's a C-Sec—"

A muffled gunshot rang out from the clinic, panicking the crowd. The team instantly drew their weapons and rushed towards the door, stacking up alongside it.

"Thank God for bureaucratic oversights," Shepard said under his breath, signaling Alenko to check the door while Williams moved to his side. Muffled shouts and crashes could be heard through the thick metal, but that was all that could be made out. A sudden movement from their right caught Shepard's attention, causing him to raise his rifle… only to find himself staring at a C-Sec officer who seemed very familiar.

"Commander Shepard! Fancy seeing you here. Looking for me?" he asked, hushed as he went up against the wall with them.

Shepard chuckled at his display. "Actually, yes. You have no idea how good your timing is."

"It seems I have a knack for that." He responded, looking over to Alenko. "What do we have?"

"Door's been locked down remotely. Give me a second," Alenko said, making fast movements on the door's interface as his omni-tool provided readouts.

"Standard hack. Probably thugs shaking down the doctors for medical supplies. Should just about…there, got it!"

The door hissed open quietly, Shepard and Williams taking point from the left while Alenko and Garrus moved in from the right. The clinic was a mess, medical equipment scattered on the floor, tables flipped, and the thugs in question holding their guns to a very frightened doctor in the familiar red and white jumpsuit of a physician. Giving him a few hand signals, Garrus ducked low and moved to the opposite wall, sliding alongside it in an apparent attempt to flank them. _Good plan_, Shepard thought, focusing back on the doctor in distress.

"I…I didn't tell anyone, I swear!" she sobbed as the apparent leader of the group held a pistol to her face.

"That was smart of you, doc. Make things easier for us, with you being the only loose…" The thug noticed the trio entering the room, grabbing the terrified doctor now as a human shield. "Get back! Take another step and I'll—"

The thug was cut off again, though this time due to the round shot through his skull from the C-Sec officer. The doctor ducked down with a cry while the remaining three thugs panicked for cover, too late to help themselves. The squad and the officer made short work of the humans, not giving them enough time to get in a single shot at them.

The skirmish over, the three humans ventured further into the room, Garrus helping the human doctor to her feet as they did so.

"Good teamwork, Commander! I'd hoped that the thugs—"

"What the hell did you think you were doing? You could have shot the hostage!"

"I-I saw the opportunity and I took the shot." he stammered, "I just reacted! If I… Dr. Michel, are you all right?"

The still shaken doctor struggled to her feet, but seemed unharmed. "Yes, I'm fine, or at least I will be. Thank you, all of you." She looked around at the group of soldiers, suddenly appearing uncomfortable. "If you don't mind my asking, who are you?"

"I'm Commander Shepard, Alliance Navy. This is Lieutenant Alenko and Gunnery Chief Williams," he said, gesturing. "Seems these thugs had something against you, doctor. What'd you do to get their attention?"

She shuddered, and looked around the room, eyes resting on the man who had held her captive. "I… I cared for a quarian patient." she said softly, as if disbelieving the reason herself.

Alenko started. "Wait, you were being harassed and threatened all because you cared for a quarian patient? Are people here that racist?"

"No! Well, some might have prejudices," she conceded, "but they were trying to keep me from telling anyone. The quarian came by a few days ago. She'd been shot in the arm, and had radiation sickness from the polonium round. She was scared, probably on the run, but wouldn't tell me who did it."

The doctor closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to help calm herself.

"The quarian was asking about the Shadow Broker. She said she had information and wanted to trade it in exchange for a safe place to hide. I told her to get in contact with Fist, an agent for the Shadow Broker." She looked back to the dead thugs on the ground, her expression darkening. "That's the last time I recommend anyone go to Fist. The information must have been important for him to try to keep me quiet," she said bitterly.

Garrus eyes seemed to focus as he brought his omni-tool up, quickly looking through his notes. "That's because Fist doesn't work for the Shadow Broker anymore. My investigation has him linked to Saren, and I know that the Broker isn't too happy about it."

"Fist betrayed the Shadow Broker?" Dr. Michel asked, bewildered. "That's stupid, even for him! It explains why he had his men come here, but Saren must have made quite the offer!"

"The quarian must have something that Saren wants. Something worth crossing the Shadow Broker to get," Garrus suggested.

"Evidence," Shepard agreed. "She must have something that proves Saren's a traitor. Did she mention anything about Saren? Or the geth?" he asked the doctor.

"I—yes, she did! She said she had information on the geth, something about Eden Prime."

"This information could link Saren to the geth," Shepard said seriously, "Do you know where she is now?"

"Fist has made Chora's Den his base of operations," Garrus said. "It's a… gentlemen's club, in the lower wards past the market district. If the quarian is looking for him, she'll have gone there."

"We'd better get moving, then. She'll be walking right into a trap," Williams spoke up, for the first time since they entered the room.

"Maybe we can surprise them. I know that the Shadow Broker hired a bounty hunter to try to get to him, a krogan by the name of Urdnot Wrex. He was in C-Sec just yesterday, brought in due to reports of threats against Fist. He left sometime today, though. Probably gone back to wait for Fist outside of the club again." Garrus mused.

"Well, we both have the same goals in mind. We could use your help on this, if you're interested," Shepard said, extending his hand to the turian.

Garrus nodded and shook his hand eagerly. "A chance to bring Saren to justice and stop more clinics from being attacked? I'm with you, all the way."

"It's settled, then. Let's head to Chora's Den. Stay safe, doctor." Shepard said, motioning to the door for the team.

"You too, Commander. Thank you again, and good luck!"

* * *

The four moved through the crowds of the street, weaving in and out of the flow of traffic. The market district in the Ward was densely packed with customers, with many lesser stands just set up in the street. _Easy for someone to get lost in_, Shepard thought. _I wonder how Saren's men tracked the quarian down_?

Shepard noticed that the team was silent for the most part, despite their new addition. After brushing past a standing line of customers, he decided to make the effort.

"You seem to know where we're going, Garrus. How often did you patrol this area?"

"Once or twice every week." he commented. "Never went to Chora's Den myself; the bouncers get nervous if an officer is around, and I like to think I'm more upstanding than that."

"The one place we go to on the Citadel, and it's a strip club?" Williams asked, annoyed.

"Mostly asari. They seem to be the most popular to watch." Garrus said, oblivious to her mood.

Shepard stifled a laugh at the turian's comment, but couldn't help a grin as he watched Williams scowl at him.

"You know, Garrus," Alenko said, "Fist will probably be suspicious that his men haven't returned. Do you think he'll be expecting trouble?"

"Maybe, but he doesn't know how many of us there are. And I don't think he'll be expecting Wrex to come back."

The four stopped after walking into an alley, the rhythms and pulses of the club reaching their ears. Turning left, they were greeted by a brightly lit blue holo-sign in the silhouette of an asari. The words "Chora's Den" flashing brightly above the beckoning asari as the team found the entrance to the club. A hulking krogan could be seen outside of the club, idly waiting on the square walkway as they approached. A sudden movement to the right caught Shepard's attention, and he ducked down behind the steel guard wall.

What might have been confusion crossed Garrus' features. "Uh, Commander? What are you—?"

"Someone is cloaked across the walkway – see the flickering?" he whispered, gesturing to the ripples in the air. Alenko and Williams nodded, drawing their rifles while Garrus moved to draw his, putting his pistol back in its holster. "Looks like they're making a move towards the krogan. Firing at them might alert Fist and his gang, but we don't have a lot of options. Ready?"

"We've got you're back, Commander," Williams said, raising her rifle.

"Drop them. Weapons free!" he ordered, spraying the opposite walkway with rifle fire. Taking impacts from the fire, the rippling air revealed two turians, both seeming surprised at the sudden firefight and rapidly returning fire with shotguns. Out of the corner of his eye, Shepard saw the krogan leave his position by the door and charge toward the turians, who were now oblivious to their original target. His shields taking a hit, Shepard ducked back down behind the rail, while Alenko and Garrus kept up the pressure. A cry from the other side confirmed a hit.

"One down!" Garrus exclaimed, crouching back down while his Vindicator rifle vented heat. "Wait, what is… Commander, you'll want to see this."

Shepard stood back up, finding that the krogan across from them had the other turian lifted in the air, holding him with one arm by the throat as the turian struggled in vain.

"So, you're the assassins that Saren sent after me?" he rumbled, a low dangerous chuckle emanating from his reptilian maw. "Weak." Taking the stealth unit from the turians hip, the krogan threw the turian off of the walkway with a casual toss, the would-be assassin screaming as he fell into the abyss below.

"That was unnecessary," Garrus remarked, but they made their way towards the krogan regardless, the alien in question simply eyeing them as they approached.

"I should have known Saren would send a couple of cowards to get a man's job done. I saw them coming, but I suppose I should thank you for keeping them distracted," he said, pocketing up the second turian's stealth unit.

"I take it you're Urdnot Wrex?" Garrus asked.

"Maybe. Who wants to know?"

Shepard cut in. "I'm Commander Shepard, of the Alliance Navy. My team and I are going after Fist, and we thought you might want in on the action.

"Commander Shepard?" The krogan mused. "I've heard a lot about you." He lowered himself to look Shepard in the eyes. Williams drew her weapon again, but Alenko motioned her down, letting the conversation proceed. To his credit, the krogan didn't even flinch at the movement.

The krogan grinned again, flashing a mouthful of sharp teeth. "We're both warriors, Shepard, so I'll give you a fair warning. I'm going to kill Fist."

Shepard stood his ground, meeting the krogan's gaze. "We have the same goal in mind, then. We need information from Fist first, but after that, he's all yours," he said evenly.

Wrex barked a laugh. "I like you human. My people have a saying: Seek the enemy of your enemy, and you will find a friend."

Shepard extended his hand, which Wrex gladly shook. "Welcome aboard, Wrex."

The krogan popped his neck, his grin turning malicious. "Let's get moving. I'd hate to keep Fist waiting."

With that, the group moved back towards the door of the club, the music still going despite the gunshots that had occurred moments before. Shepard turned to the team. "There'll be civilians inside; be sure that you only shoot those who are armed. We want to avoid getting any negative attention from the Council while we're here."

Wrex snorted. "There's no glory in killing the weak, especially those who can't fight back."

Shepard turned to look at the group assembled. "Is everyone ready?"

"Good to go, Commander." Alenko and Williams voiced.

"Then let's do this."

* * *

The first thing that the clients heard from the team walking through the crowd was the sound of Wrex's shotgun discharging into a batarian bodyguard. Dancers and customers alike rushed screaming for the exit as the body slumped to the floor. The thugs were all who remained behind, ready to defend their "lair" by flipping tables, getting behind the counter, and attempting to fight back with pistol and submachine gun fire that barely grazed the team's military grade shields. After a flurry of gunfire, the last thug fell in a heap amongst the now battered tables and chairs that littered the club floor. With the threats dealt with (and a satisfied grunt from Wrex), the group moved to the last two doors that led to Fist's private room.

Signaling the group to stack up on the door, Shepard moved to the door release mechanism. "They didn't even lock it down. He knows we're coming, we might be walking into a trap. Alenko, Williams, be ready."

The doors slid open, revealing two men wearing civilian clothing. _Probably just dock workers,_ he thought. "Stop right there. Don't come any closer!" one cried, raising his pistol.

"We just killed a roomful of thugs back there, and you're threatening us?" he asked, genuinely amused. "I think you should look for another line of work."

The two men hesitated, lowering their guns uneasily.

"Uh yeah, we'll do that!"

"Yeah, uh, I didn't like working for Fist anyways!" they said in unison, running past them out the door. Wrex glanced back at them with disgust.

"It would have been faster to just shoot 'em." he grumbled.

"Weren't you the one who said there wasn't any glory in killing the weak?" Williams asked the krogan haughtily.

"I didn't say there would be honor in it," he replied, and didn't continue the conversation.

"Settle down, Williams. Fist is still in here, and he's waiting for us now. Alenko, get the door."

"On it, Commander," he said, bringing up the door control schematics on his omni-tool. Muffled noises could be heard from the other room. "Good to go, it's open."

"I'll take point," Shepard said as he raised his rifle. "The rest of you, follow my lead."

Moving past the threshold, the team walked into the apparently abandoned lounge. The room was dark, lit only by several floor lamps for ambiance. Shepard looked around the corner of the wall closest to them… only to duck back just in time to avoid a burst of machine gun fire.

"I just have to do everything myself, don't I!?" a voice called out, probably Fist. Signaling to the team, Shepard opened fire with his Avenger rifle as he raced across the room to the adjacent wall, his shields dropped by Fist's weapon. No sooner did he move into the room than two MK II auto turrets sprung from the floor, targeting the team. "Turrets! Find cover!" Shepard shouted, dropping down into a crouch behind the wall.

"Come on out! I'll make this quick!" Fist taunted as he fired a Revenant machinegun alongside his turrets.

"Little shit just likes to run his mouth," Wrex growled, unable to get a clear shot as the turrets suppressed him. "Anyone have a grenade?"

"We just got back from Eden Prime, we used most of the ship's supply there!" Alenko called out, connecting several rounds with the shields of the turret on the right.

"Actually, I managed to get one from the thugs in the clinic," Garrus spoke up. "It's always good to have a back-up plan if things go—"

"Just throw it!" Shepard yelled, popping out of cover again to suppress, managing to destroy the weakened turret on the right.

Garrus tossed the grenade over the flipped table he was hiding behind, landing it squarely between Fist and the leftmost turret.

Fist looked down at the object, an almost comical look of shock plastered on his features as he moved to dive out of the way. "Oh, shi—!"

The explosion destroyed the second turret, knocking the criminal to the floor as the blast shook the room. Smoke alarms blared and the fire sprinklers showered the room, in an effort to put out the flames from the grenade and turrets. The encounter over, Shepard looked around at the team to check for injuries.

"Is everyone all right?"

"Took some hits to the armor, but I'm good, otherwise," Garrus spoke up. Various affirmatives from the other members of the squad allowed Shepard to breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly stood from his position and walked slowly over to where Fist lay on the ground. Amazingly, aside from a few scorch marks on his hardsuit and a few burns, Fist looked alive and well, but still cowered on the ground.

"Wait! Don't shoot, I surrender!" he begged, raising his hands in defense. Shepard drew his pistol and aimed it at Fist. Alliance protocol was strictly against shooting unarmed hostages, but after Fist nearly killed him and his team, he didn't think the man deserved any graces.

"I'm only going to ask this once, and you're going to tell me. Where is the quarian?"

"She's… she's not here. I don't know where she is!"

"Is that it? He's no use to you now. Let me eat him." Wrex offered.

Fist's eyes widened and he held up his hands again. "Wait, wait! I don't know where she is, but I know where you can find her! I told her I'd set a meeting up with the Shadow Broker."

"Face to face?" Wrex rumbled. "Impossible. Nobody meets the Shadow Broker. Even I was hired through an agent."

"She didn't know that, though. When she shows up, it'll be Saren's men waiting for her."

Shepard had heard enough. Grabbing Fist roughly by the collar of his armor, he hoisted the man up to eye level, glaring at him.

"You're trying my patience. Give me the location. Now."

"Here-here on the wards! The back alley by the markets, just past the entrance to Chora's! She's supposed to meet them right now. You can make it if you hurry!" he babbled, looking in every direction but Shepard's face.

Satisfied, Shepard released him leaving him on his feet.

"Now, that wasn't too hard, was it?" he turned to walk away. Come on, let's get—"

A shotgun blast rang out, causing the team to raise their weapons again as Fist's body dropped to the floor. Wrex lowered the still smoking shotgun with a satisfied grin.

Williams seemed shocked but ready, leveling her rifle towards the krogan. "Drop the gun, krogan."

"I had a job to do, and I got it done." he replied, not even flinching at her display.

"We don't shoot unarmed hostages." Shepard warned, but made no motion against him. The thug _had_ gotten what he deserved.

"How many people do you think died because of him?" Wrex growled. "I just did the Citadel a favor. Besides, we have to save that quarian. If we don't, we lose the data."

Shepard lowered his weapon, but noticed Williams was still aiming her rifle at the krogan. _Come on,_ he thought. _Let it go._

"Stand down, Williams. We have to save that quarian."

"I…" she hesitated, letting out a frustrated breath. "I… understand, _sir_."

"Good." Shepard said, with finality. "Now, let's get moving. That quarian's going to need help."

* * *

"Where's the Shadow Broker? Where's Fist?" the young quarian asked the turian, trying not to show her nervousness at the choice of meeting place. _It seems too quiet_, she thought. _Where are all the people?_

"They'll be here," the turian responded coolly, cupping her helmet and _realk_ as his hand drifted down along her body. "Now, about that evidence…"

"No way," She batted his arm away from her, causing him to look up in irritation. "The deal's off."

The agent looked perturbed but simply nodded in the direction over her shoulder. She turned to find two salarians in full armor step out behind a crate, their omni-tools and pistols raised. Hurriedly, she looked around and saw a computer terminal nearby. _That should work._ Making a split-second decision, she raised her own omni-tool and fired an overload command to the computer, causing it to discharge and knock the salarians to the floor. The turian drew his rifle and fired after her as she took cover behind another crate, dropping her shields. Thankfully, none of the shots breached her suit.

"Come on out, girl! You can't hide from us forever. If you give up now, we might even let you live!" The turian called, walking forward with his back-up close behind.

Her breathing heavy, she drew her shotgun and was just about to fire when suddenly three humans, a krogan and a turian appeared before her. The human in the lead wore steel black armor, with the symbol 'N7' visible on his chest. The other humans were also heavily armored, and the turian appeared to be wearing C-Sec armor. _Keelah, I hope that they—_

"Let them have it!" The leading human said, bringing his rifle to bear as the rest of the group raised their own weapons and began firing at the three thugs. The "agents" were caught off guard but began returning fire and tech bursts from their omni-tools, with some measure of success as she saw the female human's shields begin to flicker under the assault. _They don't have any cover_, she realized._ I have to help them!_

Bringing her shotgun around the corner, she laid into the turian who had tried to take advantage of her earlier. Overwhelmed by the onslaught, the turian's shields fell, and she had the satisfaction of seeing his surprise at her appearance before her next shot nearly took his head off. _Yes! I got him!_ she smiled inwardly, but another part of her was shocked at her display. _Keelah, I just killed someone! I—_

A final shot from the leading human's rifle brought the last hitman down, the salarian falling to the floor unceremoniously. Cautiously, she stood up from her crouched position, adrenaline still flowing through her veins as she looked on to her rescuers.

"Fist set me up! I knew I couldn't trust him!" she cried angrily, balling her fists.

The human looked at her, concerned. "Were you hurt in the fight?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I know how to look after myself… not that I don't appreciate the help." she added, gesturing to the now dead thugs. "Who are you?"

The man smiled. "My name's Shepard. I'm looking for evidence to prove that Saren's a traitor."

She nodded appreciatively. "Tali'Zorah. And it seems that I can repay you for saving my life. But we need to get somewhere safe."

The turian cleared his throat. "We could take her to the human embassy. Your ambassador will want to see this."

Shepard motioned her to come with them, in which she gladly followed. _With these soldiers, I feel safer already._


	4. Chapter 4: Rise of a Spectre

**Author's Note:**

_I apologize for the delay in the update, but this chapter took a while to reconstruct. I struggled a little with this chapter, and how the dialogue flowed between characters. I made a few cuts, and while I aim to get longer chapters up soon, I didn't want to sacrifice the clarity of the chapter by drawing a few scenes out. Still, I'm satisfied with it for now. Again, as I'm heavily involved in college right now (and writing a second story in tandem), there may be a delay in each chapter's release. I always update my profile, however, so you can check for progress on either one there. Thank you for your patience!_

_This chapter was last modified 10/23/12, improving upon character development and expanding scenes. I've been wanting to get the next chapter released, but writer's block and college haven't been helping. I hope to have it up soon; just a little longer now!_

* * *

Chapter 4: Rise of a Spectre

Ambassador Udina huffed as the door to his office opened, only guessing as to who the probable arrival would be. "You're not making life easy for me, Shepard. Firefights in the wards, an all-out assault on Chora's Den?" he turned, finger raised towards the man accusingly, "Do you know how many—"

A comical look of confusion crossed his face as the ambassador noticed the aliens Shepard now had in his company. "You seem to be gathering quite the entourage. What are you up to, Shepard?"

"Making your day, Ambassador, and picking up some friends along the way." He gestured to the quarian. "She has information that links Saren to the geth."

Captain Anderson and the human ambassador shared a look of surprise, from which Udina quickly recovered. "Really? Well, maybe you'd better start at the beginning, ah, miss…?"

The quarian nodded. "My name is Tali. Tali'Zorah nar Rayya."

"We don't see too many quarians here on the Citadel. Why did you leave the Flotilla?"

"I was on my Pilgrimage, my rite of passage into adulthood." Her explanation held a synthetic sound to it as her voice filtered through her mask, the opaque blue-violet glass, obscuring all but the silver gleam of her eyes. She wore a similarly violet cloth with a green enviro-suit, the cloth forming a hood that covered her helmet.

"I've never heard of a 'Pilgrimage' before," Shepard commented, "What is it?"

"The Pilgrimage is a tradition among my people," she continued, now turning towards him. "When we reach maturity, we leave our parent ships and our people behind. We search the galaxy alone, only returning to the Flotilla once we have discovered something of value to our people, proving ourselves worthy of adulthood."

"Bet it doesn't compare to The Rite," Wrex rumbled, but allowed the conversation to proceed.

"We could always use resources for the ships, like food or fuel, but we often try to find useful technology, or even knowledge that could make life easier for us on the Flotilla." she said. _It sounds fairly rehearsed,_ Shepard thought. _She must get asked about it _a lot_._

Nodding, Shepard motioned for her to continue. "So, what did you find?"

"During my travels I began hearing reports of geth. Since they drove my people into exile, the geth have never ventured beyond the Veil. Curious, I tracked a patrol of geth to an uncharted world. I waited for one to become separated from its unit, then disabled it and removed its memory core."

"Impressive, but I thought that the geth fried their memory cores when they were destroyed. Some kind of defense mechanism?" Captain Anderson asked.

"My people created the geth," she said, with what Shepard swore was a hint of sadness. "With some speed, care, and a little luck, small caches of data can sometimes be saved. Most of the geth's data core was wiped clean, but I managed to salvage something from its audio banks."

She looked down to her omni-tool, its holographic display appearing as her three-fingered hand moved in a flash before the interface.

"Eden Prime was a major victory," an all too familiar voice sprung from the device. "The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

Various noises of surprise where heard from the group, with Captain Anderson now almost elated. "That's Saren's voice. This proves he was involved in the attack!"

"He said Eden Prime brought him one step closer to finding 'the Conduit.'" Shepard mused, "Any idea what that means?"

"The Conduit must have something to do with the beacon," Anderson thought aloud. "Maybe it's some kind of prothean technology… like a weapon."

"Wait, there's more. Saren wasn't working alone," Tali said, adjusting the audio file on her arm.

"Eden Prime was a major victory," Saren's voice repeated. "The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit."

"And one step closer to the return of the Reapers," a deep female's voice replied, sending a shiver down Shepard's spine. His head began to swim at the mention of the word. _Reapers. Where have I heard of them before?_

"I don't recognize the other voice, the one talking about 'Reapers'." Udina said with a frown, oblivious to Shepard's discomfort.

"That woman seemed to wants to bring them back, whatever they are." Shepard said, rubbing his neck. "Are they some kind of alien?

"According to the geth's memory core, the Reapers were a hyper-advanced machine race that existed 50,000 years ago," Tali continued. "The Reapers hunted the protheans to extinction, and then they vanished… or at least, that's what the geth believe."

Udina crossed his arms with a frown. "Sounds a little far-fetched."

A jolt ran through Shepard's body as a flash of the vision appeared in his mind, forcing him to shut his eyes as he stumbled forward.

_The fires burned through the sky, thick smoke choking his vision as the machinations tore into the line. _They just keep coming, _he thought with despair, swinging his overheated particle rifle as a club to just keep the corrupted machines off of him. Aeerte had fallen, its defenses destroyed and their ships disabled. No hope was in sight as a sea of soulless eyes swarmed towards them, striking dread into his very being—_

"Commander, are you all right?" Garrus asked, with some hesitation.

His eyes shot open as he was brought back to the present, sweat pouring from him as he supported himself with his hands on his knees. _What was that? Was that the message from the beacon?_ His thoughts were barely coherent as he tried to collect himself. The others had stopped their conversation, looking at him with some concern.

He shook his head, trying to will the images away. "I'm fine," he lied. "The vision from the beacon on Eden Prime…I think I understand it now. I saw the protheans being wiped out by the Reapers!"

Tali seemed taken aback. "Wait, so the beacon that everyone has been talking about… you were there?" she asked, her body language clearly showing surprise.

Shepard nodded. "Williams and Alenko were on the ground with me. I was the one that used the beacon… for what good it did. What the Reapers were doing, though... I don't know how to describe it, and I don't want to."

"Keelah, I didn't know. I cannot imagine what you saw. From what you are saying, it must have been terrible." She turned back to face the rest of those in the room, slightly shaken by his revelation. He felt a pang of grief at her distress, having been responsible for telling the story. _Terrible doesn't begin to describe it,_ he thought wearily, _but she certainly is perceptive_. Up until now, no one really spoken about his discomfort in seeing it.

"The geth revere the Reapers as gods," Tali continued. "The pinnacle of non-organic life. And they seem to believe Saren knows how to bring them back."

"The Council is just going to _love_ this." Udina groaned.

"If what the beacon showed me was true, then the Reapers are a threat to every species in Citadel space," Shepard said with conviction. "We have to tell them!"

"And no matter what they think about the rest of this, those audio files might be enough to prove that Saren's a traitor!" Anderson agreed.

Udina seemed to consider their arguments, finally nodding his head as well. "The captain is right. We need to present this to the Council right away."

"Hold on, what about the quarian?" Wrex asked.

"My name is Tali!" she bristled, turning towards Shepard, who nodded in return.

"She's coming with us. Without her, we would've been back where we started."

"Agreed," Anderson echoed. "You all have helped to get us this far, and you should be present for the hearing."

"Anderson and I will go ahead to get things ready with the Council. Take a moment to collect yourselves, then meet us in the Tower. We have a traitor to bring to light," Ambassador Udina said with a satisfied smile, the first Shepard had seen the politician give. _This is going to be good._

* * *

The elevator ride was starting to get more crowded by this point, and their company earned more than a few double takes from passerby. The odd mix of aliens strode confidently through the tower, Shepard feeling more at ease than he had on his last shore leave. Passing the reflecting pool, the group managed to walk through unimpeded by security and purposefully walked up the last flight of steps before the Council Chambers. Captain Anderson was waiting for them with a smile.

He waved for them to follow. "Come on, Udina has just started presenting the evidence," he said, as the echoes of the Council's discussion drifted down to them. Walking forward to the platform, Udina's voice could be heard once again, although on a far more subdued level. Suddenly, Tali's recording filled the air. Shepard couldn't help a smirk at the dawning of realization that was appearing on the councilors' faces.

"Eden Prime was a major victory. The beacon has brought us one step closer to finding the Conduit," Saren's voice said again.

"And one step closer to finding the Reapers," the second voice repeated.

The human ambassador pointed towards the councilors as they gaped at what they heard. "You wanted proof? There it is."

Surprisingly, it was the turian who regained his voice first. "This evidence is irrefutable, Ambassador. Saren will be stripped of his Spectre status immediately, and we will make every effort to bring him to justice for his crimes," Sparatus said seriously.

"I recognize that other voice, the one speaking with Saren. She is Matriarch Benezia, a powerful biotic with great influence among the asari. She will make a formidable ally for Saren." Councilor Tevos added in shock.

_Figures,_ Shepard thought grimly, drawing on some of his historical knowledge. _The Council's top agent has a respected and influential advisor at his side._

"What I'm more interested in is what the Matriarch spoke of, these Reapers." Councilor Valern cut in, the salarian's eyes focused in thought. "What do you know about them?"

Captain Anderson cleared his throat. "Only what was extracted from the geth's memory core, I'm afraid. The Reapers were an ancient race of machines that wiped out the protheans, then vanished from the galaxy."

"The geth believe that the Reapers are gods, and that Saren will bring them back," Shepard added.

"We think that the Conduit is the key to bringing them back," Anderson continued. "Saren is searching for it, and attacking Eden Prime to get to the beacon might have told him where to find it."

"Do we even know what this 'Conduit' is?" the salarian asked, troubled.

"Saren thinks that it can bring back the Reapers. I'd say that's bad enough." Shepard said.

"Now just a minute, listen to what you're saying!" the turian councilor said angrily. "Saren wants to bring back the machines that wiped out all life in the galaxy as we know it? What purpose would that serve him? It's impossible. Where did the Reapers go? Why did they vanish? Why haven't we found any trace of their existence?"

Sparatus just shook his head at the folly of it. "If they were real we would have found something."

"Councilors, I tried to warn you about Saren, and you refused to see the truth. Don't make the same mistake here as well." Shepard said, angered that they might try to ignore them once more.

"This is different," Tevos began. "You proved Saren has betrayed this Council. We all agree that he's using the geth to search for the Conduit, but we don't really know why or even if this Conduit exists."

"The Reapers are obviously just a myth, Commander," Valern agreed. "A convenient lie for Saren to manipulate the geth to bend to his will."

"I've seen the destruction that the Reapers can cause from the beacon," Shepard said heatedly. "Fifty thousand years ago they wiped out the protheans. If Saren finds the Conduit, it _will_ happen again."

"We cannot know that to be true, Commander. And Saren has been stripped of his status as a Spectre; he no longer has the rights or resources that he used to, and he is a rogue agent on the run for his life. He'll be caught soon enough."

"That's it?" Udina fumed. "That is not good enough! You know that he's hiding in the Traverse. Send your fleet in!" he demanded, clenching his fist for emphasis.

Valern gave him a pensive stare. "A fleet cannot track down one man."

"A fleet would act as a preventative measure and secure the entire region. It would keep the geth from attacking any more of our colonies!"

"Or it could trigger a war with the Terminus Systems! We won't have the Council species dragged into a galactic confrontation over a few dozen human colonies."

"The _Council species_?" Udina asked incredulously. "Do you mean to tell me that our lives do not matter as much as yours? I am sick of this Council and its anti-human bulls—"

"Ambassador, please." The asari raised her hands as a gesture of peace. "There is a way to hunt Saren without involving fleets or armies."

The turian councilor's mandibles flicked in surprise. "You cannot mean… no, no it's too soon! Humanity is not ready for the responsibilities that come with joining the Spectres."

_Holy hell_, Shepard thought. _This is it!_ "You don't have to risk a war with the Terminus Systems, and the Ambassador gets his human Spectre. Everyone's happy." he said coolly, trying his best to hide his excitement.

The three alien council members looked to each other, weighing their decision. Nodding in agreement, the three councilors brought up their omni-tools, casting their vote on the small vid-screen before them.

Councilor Tevos addressed him, staring at him intently.

"Commander John Shepard, do you swear to become a servant of justice, to carry out the will of this Council, and to defend the galaxy and its citizens?"

Shepard became aware of the growing audience in the Council Chambers, dozens of spectators now present from the floors above and beyond the platforms.

With a nod from Anderson, Shepard looked back to the Council, smiling inwardly. _Here we go._ "I do."

"John Shepard, step forward."

* * *

"Can't say I'm surprised that the bastard didn't thank you," Wrex said as they descended down into the C-Sec academy, the odd team nearly filling the elevator car by themselves.

"The Ambassador probably has a lot on his plate," Alenko voiced. "He _did_ just have the first human Spectre inducted by the Council to track down a rogue agent."

"I'm not sure I agree with the "race card" that your ambassador pulled, but it got results," Garrus added.

Wrex looked the turian over with a scowl.

"The "race card" is only used when the claim is varren shit, turian. The evidence was there. Besides, you can't say they aren't racist. The Council has avoided advancing the human embassy for the last two decades, while the volus and elcor had their embassies grow each year."

Shepard raised his eyebrows in surprise. A krogan bounty hunter with a political mind was certainly not a common occurrence, especially when his points actually made sense.

"Yes, but with good reason. The Council was trying to prevent those who actually _were_ anti-human from having a reason to start targeting their ambassadors," Garrus attempted to explain, Shepard frowned at the statement. _That seems a little too much like the "official story."_

"You don't actually believe that crock, do you?" Williams scoffed. "The Council was holding humanity back because they were scared of our growth. We became successful too fast for them, and they tried to keep us down for it."

The elevator stopped at the ground floor for the C-Sec Academy. After the hearing had concluded, Shepard had been appointed as a full Council Spectre. As such, he was granted access to a ship, crew, and supplies that he would need to go hunting for Saren in the Attican Traverse. As the headquarters for Citadel Security also lead through customs and the docks, he wanted to get the team some gear before they left. Although he still didn't know what ship he would be provided or with whom he would be traveling with. _Best not to think too much about it now_.

The conversation continued between the various members of the team until they approached the C-Sec Spectre Requisitions Office, the main supplier for the officers and Council Spectres. A single turian sat behind a desk in front of them, a kiosk nearby.

The requisitions officer looked up. "Greetings, is there something I can do for you?"

"I'm Commander Shepard, of the Alliance. My crew and I are going to be in need of supplies, and we've been granted access to the Spectres private stock."

"Really? Ah, that's right! You're the first human Spectre… the vids were all over the news! Please, have a look at my kiosk, I'm sure I have something to suit you." Pressing a button, the C-Sec officer opened up the kiosk display, a previously hidden gun rack sliding out from the wall.

"Nice." Ashley breathed as the rest of the team looking the various guns over. The officer tensed somewhat at the sight of Wrex, but ultimately seemed indifferent to the rest of the members of the squad.

"These are all top of the line, the best that anyone can purchase with Spectre authority. Their quality warrants a certain price, however." The officer explained, gesturing to the value of the assault rifle Shepard was holding. His eyes bulged at cost, causing him to set it back down with a cough.

"Two-hundred thousand credits is a little steep for me." he said, rubbing his neck awkwardly. "Do you have anything less expensive?"

"Nothing Spectre grade is below ten thousand, I'm afraid, but we do have several… hang on." The turian paused, looking at his omni-tool. "That doesn't… all right. Interesting."

The turian glanced back up to him, almost disbelieving. "I've just received an order placement for supplies for you, authorized by a Captain David Anderson. It seems that you have a benefactor, Commander. We'll have the shipment moved to bay B-1 within the hour."

"Anderson? I… uh, thanks for the information." Thoroughly confused, Shepard turned to make his exit, the rest of his followers with similar expressions of surprise.

"Thank you, Commander. Please, do come again." The officer answered cordially, closing the weapon racks as he and the group left.

The odd collection of aliens walked into the lobby of the C-Sec headquarters, standing before the elevator to the docks. After a moment of just looking at each other, Chief Williams spoke up.

"Well, I guess this is where we part ways, right? Docking bay B-1 is where the Normandy was docked before."

"Anderson probably wants to see us off before we leave." Shepard thought aloud. "Maybe he's arranged a ship for us."

"Technically just you, Commander," Garrus said. "You're the Council Spectre, not us. But this doesn't have to be where we part ways. I want to join you in taking down Saren."

"As would I," Wrex said with a toothy grin. "I've already gotten some gear out of this, and it's been a while since I've had had a real fight. Taking down Saren would be one."

Shepard looked between the two of them, a hardened bounty hunter and a C-Sec officer. _They certainly handled themselves well in the firefights earlier_, he thought and was about to speak when Tali stepped forward.

"If you would have me, I would like to join you as well," she said meekly, her hands fidgeting in front of her.

Alenko raised an eyebrow at her. "You did well getting us the data, but this might be a little out of your league."

"You saw me in the alley, Commander. You know what I can do. Let me come with you," she asked again, almost pleading.

"I thought you were on your Pilgrimage?" Shepard asked.

"The Pilgrimage proves we are willing to give of ourselves for the greater good. What does it say about me if I turn my back on this?"

Shepard walked over to her then, leaving only a few feet of space between them as he looked her in the gleam of her eyes through her faceplate. "Listen carefully," he began. "Saren's men aren't all going to be like those we saw in that alley. He has assassins and trained soldiers at his disposal, and as you said, poses a very real danger to everyone in the galaxy. If we pursue him, there's a chance that we won't make it back. With that being said, do you still want to join me?"

Tali seemed to consider this for a moment, before nodding her head decisively. "Yes, I do. My Pilgrimage can wait."

Shepard nodded in approval. "Welcome aboard, Tali, Wrex, Garrus. I'll take all the help I can get."

"Thanks. You won't regret this," she said, sounding both relieved and excited. Garrus nodded and Wrex grunted an affirmative.

"Let's head to the docks, see what the captain has in store for us."

"Great, more elevator rides. Honestly, is there a way we can travel here that doesn't sitting in a box car?" Ashley asked irritably as they entered the main elevator.

"Cabs can't fly to the docks due to safety procedures and risks of hijacking, hence why C-Sec has security checkpoints before each docking bay," Garrus explained. "And there's only a breathable atmosphere on the outer ward arms to seven meters, and even then just barely. Unless you want to use an exosuit, there isn't any other way to get to the docks."

"Well, Tali is ready for it," Ashley commented, drawing attention to the quarian's environmental suit. "Why are you wearing that suit, anyways? It's pretty comfortable here without one."

"Quarians have weakened immune systems from the time we've spent isolated on the Flotilla, and unclean air exposures can be deadly if we get an infection. These suits protect us and keep us alive by sealing off foreign contaminants."

"Hang on, you could get sick from any air exposure?" Alenko asked. "Does that mean that you're always wearing it?"

Tali nodded, although she sounded less cheerful than before. "We wear them even among family. The only time we can remove them is in a clean room environment, and we have long waiting lists for the rooms on the Flotilla. Ever since the geth drove us from our homeworld three hundred years ago, the ships our ancestors left on and their sterile environments prevented us from having any real exposure to bacteria and viruses. Until the Council lets us colonize a new world, we will likely remain on them."

Garrus crossed his arms. "The quarians released a dangerous enemy upon the galaxy when they created the geth. It was a foolish mistake, and the people of Eden Prime have paid for it. I hope your people are properly contrite, Tali."

"As the turians are contrite for releasing the Genophage upon the krogan?" Tali replied bitterly, her hands curling into fists.

Shepard blinked at the sudden tension that Garrus had brought up. It was true that the geth had attacked Eden Prime, but Tali wasn't to blame for that, now. And Garrus seemed to be oblivious to the large, dangerous krogan occupant behind him whose eyes had suddenly narrowed to slits.

"You're assuming that sterilizing the krogan was a mistake." Garrus continued before Shepard could stop him. _Oh, damn—_

Eight hundred pounds of krogan slammed Garrus into the elevator window, fractures appearing in the safety glass.

"Try saying that to my face, turian." Wrex growled dangerously, one hand at Garrus' throat. Clearly, the C-Sec officer hadn't thought his last response through and was attempting to avoid looking the krogan in the eyes. "Go ahead. I dare you."

"Enough. Both of you," Shepard cut in as he moved to place himself between them. "Arguing about the past isn't going to help us stop Saren. Neither of you were responsible for the Genophage, and we can't know how things could have been different now when dealing with the geth. If you're coming with me, you're going to have to work together as a team. Do we understand each other?"

The two aliens glowered at each other for a moment, before Garrus finally nodded and moved to the space opposite of Wrex in the elevator car. Wrex just gave another grumble, but said nothing more.

The elevator began to slow, coming to a stop not fifteen seconds after the confrontation that took place.

"Perfect timing," Ashley commented sarcastically under her breath. Shepard silently agreed. _If we had only gotten here a little earlier…_

Shepard and his new team were greeted by the sight of Captain Anderson and Ambassador Udina conversing on the joining platform next to the SR1 Normandy. _Well, I guess this is it_, Shepard thought.

Turning to greet them, Udina stood with his hands behind his back. "Commander Shepard. Is this the team you've assembled to come with you on your mission?" he asked, frowning slightly at Tali and Wrex. "Alliance ships are generally only crewed by humans, Shepard. The crew may not be too keen on aliens being aboard."

"With all due respect, Ambassador, I understand." he replied. He understood that there were prejudices against nonhumans in the Alliance, although being raised on a ship all your life did help to bring perspective of the other races on the worlds they visited. He focused on the latter part of Udina's statement.

"You mentioned a crew. You were able to get one of the Alliance ships for us, then? Where is it docked?"

A smile crept onto the human ambassador's face. "You're looking at it."

Shepard had been prepared for many things, but this certainly hadn't been one of them. Staunch surprise defined the group's features as the ambassador's words sank in.

"You're kidding," Shepard said bluntly. "The Normandy is Captain Anderson's ship."

"Which is why Captain Anderson has agreed to step down from his position as commanding officer of the Normandy. The ship is yours, now."

_This is moving pretty fast_, he thought. _Why would Anderson just step down? What's going on behind this?_

Shepard gave the captain a look of utter shock. "Sir? I've never been in charge of a ship before. I'm a Commander of infantry on the ground, I don't think—"

"Commander, you're still a part of the Alliance, but you're also a Spectre now, and Spectres only need to answer to the Council. As such, you've been granted command of a vessel, and I want you to have the Normandy. She's quick, quiet, and you already know the crew; she's a perfect ship for a Spectre. Treat her well, John," Anderson replied.

"This isn't right. It feels like I'm stealing the ship from you," Shepard protested.

"Please, it's time for me to step down," Anderson said with his hands raised. "I already told you that I once had an assignment with Saren. The Council had me up for the Spectres twenty years ago. He made sure I didn't get into the Spectres, but he couldn't stop you. Now you have the chance to make up for my mistakes," He finished, extending his hand to him.

Shepard gladly shook his hand, an almost apologetic smile on his face. "I won't let you down, sir."

"We don't know where Saren's gone, but we know what he's looking for; the Conduit. He has the geth scouring the Traverse for clues to its whereabouts. If you can find clues as to its existence, maybe you can find it before he does."

"What about the Reapers?" Shepard asked, "They are the real threat."

"I'm with the Council on this one, Shepard," Udina said with a frown. "I'm not sure that they even exist."

"But if they do exist," Anderson amended, "Then the Conduit is the key to bringing them back. Stop Saren from getting to it, and we stop the Reapers from returning."

Shepard nodded firmly. "I'll stop them."

"We had a shipment of arms and armor delivered to the Normandy, a little more advanced than the standard Alliance military provisions," Udina continued. "We've also found a lead on Saren. Matriarch Benezia, the other voice in the recording, has a daughter, a scientist who specializes in the protheans and their technologies. We don't know if she's involved, but it might be a good idea to try and find her, find out what she knows. Her name is Dr. Liara T'soni. She was reportedly exploring an archeological dig site on one of the uncharted worlds in the Artemis Tau cluster."

"Then that's we'll head to," Shepard agreed. "Anything else I should know?"

"If any geth are spotted in a system, Saren has them there for a reason. We'll keep you notified of any sightings." Udina stepped forward, getting closer to the Spectre. "But know this Commander; though you are now a Council Spectre, you are still a human. Your actions still reflect on humanity as a whole. If you mess up, I get stuck cleaning things up."

"I'll try not to make things harder on you, Ambassador."

"Good. Now, you have your ship, supplies, a crew, and a ground team. I'd say that you're ready." Udina gestured to the Normandy's airlock. "Your mission awaits."

As if on cue, the band of followers Shepard had accumulated walked as one unit to the Normandy

"Keelah, this ship is beautiful!" Tali said, awestruck. "The design is different than any other ship I've seen."

"It's from a joint military cooperation between the Alliance and the Hierarchy," Garrus replied. "A prototype that would improve…"

Shepard tuned out their conversation as he walked forward solemnly. It all felt surreal; Eden Prime, becoming a Spectre, and now becoming the 'captain' of the Normandy, tasked with bringing down one of the most dangerous individuals in the galaxy. _And I don't even have the rank, _he thought bitterly_. How will the crew see me taking Anderson's place? _

Shepard stole one last glance to the dock as the doors to the airlock opened, seeing Captain Anderson and Udina still standing on the platform. Udina made no motion, but Anderson walked toward the rail and gave him a crisp salute, one which Shepard returned with a sad smile.

"Good luck, Commander." Anderson called out. "Make us proud."


	5. Chapter 5: Settling In

_Well, that took long enough. I apologize for the wait, but college has been a bear, and coaching, exams, and writer's block haven't helped. I had a lot of trouble on this one just because of the new direction that I felt it was taking, deviating more from what was explicitly in-game and more of the way I imagined things to go. I have to say, once I got over the writer's block, it was pretty fun to write. I don't think I'll have any more issues when it comes to writing in of itself, but as midterms and finals are approaching and I'm writing a second story in tandem it is best to check my profile for news on updates._

_Just looked through it again, and made a few minor edits. Hopefully there aren't too many errors in here, though in my eagerness to get it posted before the end of the month I may have overlooked some things. Thanks for your patience! Let me know if you have any suggestions on improvements!_

**_Update 12/23/12: Edits complete. Thanks laure for the help!_**

* * *

Chapter 5: Settling In

"Stand by, shore party. Decontamination in progress." The ship's VI announced as the decontamination process began, the doors to the airlock sealing shut behind the newly formed squad.

Not one of the six crew members said a word, deafening silence pervading the small room. The animosity from the conversation in the elevator still hung in the air, and the confines of the airlock did little to ease the tension between them. _If this is how things are going to be, this is going to be a short mission,_ Shepard thought, hoping for the decon process to end before either Wrex or Garrus started a fight. Judging from what Wrex was capable of, getting the krogan angry in close-quarters was not the best choice if you valued your longevity.

A ping signaled that the decontamination was at its end, allowing the doors to the Normandy's bridge to slide open and for Shepard and his "team" to proceed uneasily.

Taking the initiative to break the silence, Shepard looked back to Wrex, Garrus, and Tali. "All right, feel free to take a look around before you settle in. As you're not part of the Alliance, I won't hold you to the same protocols. All you need to know is to just stay civil with the crew and everything will go smoothly. Captain Anderson let them know you're coming."

"Understood, Commander." Garrus said with a curt nod. Putting some distance between Wrex and Tali he walked through the bridge and into the CIC. Wrex shrugged his shoulders before following suit. Curiously, Tali hesitated before leaving, her hands fidgeting in front of her as she looked his way before she too left for the CIC. _Probably thinking about the alley_, he thought with a frown. _She _was_ in a pretty tight spot back there._

With the non-Alliance crew attended to, Shepard gave a nod to Alenko and Williams. "You already have your stations. We'll have some time to talk soon enough, but I feel I need to say some things to the crew beforehand, let them know what we're up against. Until then, dismissed."

"You bet, Commander. I'll be down in the mess if you need anything." Williams replied, giving him a salute before she turned back towards the CIC.

Alenko simply returned his nod with a small grin. "I'll think I'll take her up on that. I'd almost be willing to eat the MREs we have in store if I could get them faster than the stuff we have served here." His face fell, replaced by a grimace. "Although there isn't really much of a difference, come to think of it. If I have to eat that "meatloaf" one more time…"

"Yeah, you weren't the only one. I mean, seriously, if Barkley didn't eat it himself, I'd say he's holding out on us." Joker quipped from the pilot's chair. "I wonder if I could requisition a bucket seat with a button that said 'Press in case of the runs.' Be pretty useful when you're flying the ship around with food poisoning threatening to send choc—"

"And there goes my appetite. We'll catch up later, Commander," Alenko said as he walked towards the CIC, leaving Shepard and the Normandy's pilot alone at the helm. Shepard gave Joker a disapproving glance, to which the pilot only shrugged as he looked back to the screen before him.

"Hey, all I'm saying is that it would be nice to have. Gotta prepare for these kinds of things."

"Give it a rest, Joker. Technically, we haven't left the station yet, and Captain Anderson did speak about hiring a more 'appropriate' pilot," Shepard said, though his threat held no malice. Joker was one of the best in the Alliance, and he knew it.

"Pssh, yeah, but I bet they wouldn't be able to handle the ship. Or Barkley's cooking." Joker snorted, but his demeanor fell at the mention of Anderson. "I heard what had happened to the captain. The guy survives a hundred battles, only to be taken down by backroom politics. Doesn't seem right."

"Yeah, I hear you on that," Shepard agreed, the conversation taking a solemn turn. He was nervous at the prospect of living up to the captain's expectations. Anderson had kept the Normandy under control, and had been a captain for years. _How am I supposed to command a ship if I don't have any experience with it?_

He let his thoughts go unvoiced. "Joker, bring up the intercom. I think a few words need to be said here," he said in a voice that sounded far more confident than how he actually felt. Joker tapped a button on-screen. "She's all yours, Commander."

Shepard leaned in, deciding to lay out the truth as he took a steady breath. "This is Commander Shepard speaking. Our mission is to find Saren before he finds the Conduit, and stop him. I won't lie to you, crew. This one isn't going to be easy."

"The eyes of the galaxy are upon us. Our actions will reflect on humanity as a whole; now is the chance for us to prove ourselves as a species." John felt his confidence grow as he spoke, the glint of determination in his eyes. "Our enemy knows we're coming. When Saren attacked Eden Prime, he declared war on humanity. Saren and his geth wiped out the 212th marine brigade stationed there, and claimed the life of Corporal Richard Jenkins. This fight is personal. When we go into the Traverse, Saren's followers will be waiting for us. But we'll be ready for them, too. We need to do this, not just for our own sake, but for the sake of every other species in Citadel Space. Saren must be stopped, and I promise you all… we _will_ stop him!"

A few cheers could be heard from the deck. He didn't find the speech particularly inspiring, but he believed his own words and no longer felt the small anxiety that had affected him moments before.

"Our first destination is in the Artemis Tau cluster, which we will be arriving at in…" he checked the astrogation charts on Joker's screen, "…fifty-two hours upon our departure. Until then, it's business as usual. That is all."

Closing the com, Joker looked over to Shepard approvingly. "Well said, Commander. The captain would be proud."

"Everyone's depending on us. We won't let them down," he said, no doubt in his words as he walked on towards the CIC and the lower decks.

"Yes, sir!" Joker nodded with enthusiasm as he started up the Normandy's engines.

As Shepard walked away, he couldn't help but realize that they were on their own, now. Anderson and the Alliance would be providing some intel, true, but there wouldn't be anyone to help if they got into a skirmish or a battle_. For everyone to make it home, this mission will need careful planning_, he thought, and ventured towards the lower decks.

* * *

_Didn't think someone would be able to mess up a cheeseburger_, Kaidan thought. _Well done, Barkley_.

The mess hall wasn't very crowded at the moment, and Kaidan and Williams were the only people at the table. Williams, for her part, seemed to be eating her sandwich with gusto. Kaidan made a mental note to get what she was having next time.

"Never would have thought the Commander was much for speeches," Williams said after inhaling her food, grinning across the table.

"He normally isn't. Must have figured the crew needed some reassurance on the mission," he replied. "Don't see why he would, though. He must know the crew is behind him on this. He was practically ready to become commanding officer as it was after being X.O. on board for so long with Anderson mentoring him."

"Just wish that the Captain was here with us, instead of being stuck back on the Citadel," Williams agreed, putting her plate aside. "Although I'm not so sure about the… _newer…_ crewmates, we have aboard."

Kaidan looked up, not sure if he heard her right. "You mean the aliens? What about them?"

"Well," she began, "I'm not sure what the Commander's plan is on this, whether it's an outreach to other species or not, but we need to put humanity first. This is an Alliance ship, and I'm not comfortable with them just walking around. A krogan is a nightmare in close quarters if it went into a rampage, and that quarian, Tali, said she was looking for something to bring back as a… what's the word she used? Pilgrimage gift? What better gift than the schematics of a prototype stealth ship?"

Kaidan gave her a frown. "I think you might be overreacting, Chief. I mean, do you _really_ think that the people Shepard brought aboard intend to harm us?"

"All I'm saying is that it doesn't hurt to be prepared. I'll be happy if they prove me wrong—"

"Wrong about what?" a flanged, dual toned voice asked. Kaidan turned around to see Garrus standing a few paces away, a plate of orange meat and some purple substance that looked like mashed potatoes in his hands. _How long has he been standing there?_ He looked at Williams expectantly, who suddenly appeared uncomfortable.

"Oh… I was… uh, placing bets on the Pirates this year. I'd like them to win the series, but from the looks of the last few games, they'll have a hard time with it."

"Ah…" Garrus said, a look of understanding crossing his features. "That's for… what's the name… faceball, right?"

Apparently, he had only come in on the end of the conversation. Kaidan watched as Williams' mouth twitched into a smile, both in humor and relief. "It's _baseball_, actually, but close enough."

Garrus shook his head in some amusement. "Never quite understood the point of that game. Contact sports are far more entertaining than swinging a bat around at a ball." He stopped and looked around for a moment, as if searching for someone. "Speaking of contact, I think I need to find Wrex. We didn't really get off to a great start, and I was thinking I should… apologize."

Williams raised her eyebrows. "Really? After what you guys said to each other in that elevator, I thought you'd be coming to blows by now."

"That might still happen," Garrus conceded as he sat down at their table, "but Shepard was right when he said we need to work together. I just don't have to like it. I've worked with plenty of people in C-Sec who I didn't like, but we got the job done then."

Kaidan frowned. "I'd think you'd get more done if you got along."

Garrus shrugged as he cut into the meat on his plate. "Maybe. As long as he doesn't try anything, I'll be okay around him."

"And what about Tali?" Kaidan asked. "She didn't deserve what you said back there. Hell, nothing should've warranted that."

The turian's mandibles twitched. "I was thinking about that. I'm sorry that I gave her the blame, but I won't apologize for what I said about her species. If they hadn't created the geth, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"You see, that's where you got into trouble the last time. You can't just generalize an entire species over what they had done in the past unless you want others to do the same to you." Kaidan said, his patience starting to wear thin. "Besides, Shepard invited you all aboard. The least you can do is to try to keep things peaceful between yourselves."

"_Trying_ is the word," Garrus replied, swallowing a forkful of the purple substance. "I see your point, though. Until then, I can only hope we get to Saren as soon as possible."

"Well, at least we agree on something." Williams said, getting up from the table. "I'll go check on the shipment that we received, take stock on the weapons. I could also get to tinkering on some of the rifles that we're going to be using, although I think that Wrex and Tali would prefer their shotguns."

"Come to think of it, where are Wrex and Tali? They haven't come into the mess yet." Kaidan mused.

Garrus nodded his response. "Tali went exploring the ship, mentioned something about the ship's drive core."

Williams tensed, shooting a look towards Kaidan that said "_I told you so"_ before she went to the ship's elevator. He just shook his head. _She's a little too paranoid about this_, he thought. _Hopefully she lightens up soon enough_. With her departure, Kaidan went back to his "cheeseburger," silently lamenting that they hadn't been able to eat on the Presidium before they left.

* * *

"So, we have eight M-15 Vindicators, five M-96 Mattocks and M-5 Phalanx pistols, three Argus rifles and Tempest submachine guns, two Crusader shotguns, a Valiant sniper rifle, along with two ML-77 missile launchers and forty missiles. And this is in _addition_ to the weapons we already have on board?" Shepard asked the requisitions officer.

"Not to mention the restocked medical stores," the officer replied. "Captain Anderson has supplied us with enough equipment to fight a small war."

Shepard was visibly impressed. "Wow. Anderson must have spent a small fortune on this."

The man nodded. "Most of these weapons fall under five thousand credits, but the sheer bulk that the captain purchased… this must have been over a hundred grand."

"Well, we'd better show that we're worth it. Good work, Emerson."

"Thanks, sir." The servicemen gave him a smile and a nod before turning back to his data-pad, going over the rest of the inventory.

John Shepard turned back to the elevator, having gotten an idea of what the team would be using. The number and variety of the weapons Anderson had provided them was amazing, and he looked forward to trying out some of the models he was less familiar with. True, he was proficient in all classes of weapons, but the prospect of getting to use one of the newer Vindicator or Argus rifles in particular was certainly something he was looking forward to.

The cargo hold was mostly empty, save for the various crates of supplies and the M-35 Mako that was stationed near the cargo doors. An armored fast insertion vehicle, the Mako had served him well on several occasions before, and was the transport that they would be using on the ground when they located the planet Dr. Tsoni was on. His thoughts turned back to the mission, and of the crew. Both Williams and Alenko he knew and trusted, but even as he was trusting of those he had recruited, it seemed as though they did not do the same for each other. _Which probably is the normal reaction to this situation_, he conceded to himself. Wrex and Garrus seemed like they would be the most prone to trouble for each other, but he didn't see Tali going out of her way to pick a fight. He smiled at the sudden image of Tali trying to punch the hulking krogan, her fists bouncing off of Wrex's armor as the krogan chuckled in amusement. _Come to think of it, where were they?_

He hadn't seen the newest members of the crew since he dismissed them earlier, but he made a few guesses as to their whereabou—

"Shepard." A voice rumbled from his right. He turned in surprise to find Wrex walk out from behind a crate.

"Wrex," he said, returning his greeting as he situated himself. "Didn't see you back there. Looking for anything in particular?"

The krogan shrugged. "I saw those sleeper pods of yours on the second deck. Didn't think I'd be able to fit inside one, so I looked for a spot I could rest my hump. These crates here will do."

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "You're going to sleep down in the cargo hold?"

"I said it," the krogan stated plainly. "Don't get a whole lot of stares down here, and I have some space to myself."

"Fair enough," Shepard replied. It seemed the krogan wasn't much for conversation. Still, he made an attempt anyway.

"You haven't mentioned much about yourself since you joined us. What's your story, Wrex?"

The krogan frowned, which may have been deterring enough for anyone else. "There's no story. Go ask that quarian if you want a story."

Still determined, Shepard pressed on. "Come on, krogan live for centuries, and you've been a bounty hunter for some time. Don't tell me you haven't been through anything interesting."

Wrex's expression seemed almost… sarcastic. "Well, there was this one time when the turians almost wiped out our entire race. That was_ fun_."

Shepard winced inwardly. Definitely sarcasm, then. "So that's why you went after Garrus in that elevator. The… Genophage, right?"

"Yeah." Wrex's reply was short, indicative of him not wanting to pursue the subject.

Shepard sighed. "Look, I know that what Garrus said about the Genophage was out of line—"

"Really?" the krogan cut him off. "Because if I had someone patronize my species in front of me, telling me that a genetic mutation that was used to infect your entire race so that only one in a thousand of your kind survive until birth, dooming your race to a slow extinction, was the right thing to do, then I would take it a little more personally than that." Wrex had slowly begun to tense, his reptilian jaw set as his eyes became narrowed.

Shepard hadn't known the extent of the damage that the Genophage did to the krogan. He'd heard about some of the events from his high school history class, but he honestly had no idea. Wrex was starting to get angry, and an angry krogan in a cargo hold full of weapons would be bad news.

"I'm sorry, Wrex. I didn't mean to offend you," he said, genuinely sorry.

The krogan stared at him for a moment without speaking. Before Shepard could say anything else, the krogan relaxed, judging him to be sincere.

"Your ignorance on the matter doesn't upset me, Shepard." The krogan breathed out heavily. It seemed that krogan sighed as well, although on a far greater scale than humans. "As for the krogan, I gave up on them long ago. The Genophage infected us, but it isn't what's killing us."

At this, Shepard was intrigued. "So what is, then?"

The sound of the lift coming back down the elevator brought the two out of their conversation. Wrex faced Shepard again, his features unreadable to the human. "Another time, maybe. Like I said, go talk to the quarian if you want stories. I'll be checking those new guns that were brought aboard, see if I can't grab a good one before whoever on that elevator takes it."

Seeing that the krogan's mood had changed for the better, Shepard took the initiative. We'll talk later, Wrex."

"Shepard," Wrex said as he passed him, walking over to the weapons positioned by Emerson, the requisitions officer.

Shepard looked on for a moment, still curious about the krogan's conversation and his history. It would have to wait, however, and so he moved towards Engineering. _As he had said, it would have to wait until another time_, he thought. As Shepard reached the doors, he realized he hadn't seen Tali or Garrus yet to see how they were settling in, but he wanted to check in on Chief Engineer Adams first to talk things over. As the engineer was a good friend of both Captain Anderson and himself, he was wondering how he was handling things now that—

He stopped at the sight of Tali pouring over the console to the left, her three-fingered hands making fast, calculated motions on her omni-tool display. Adams and the other two engineers worked on the right, apparently both aware and accepting of her presence. His momentary confusion was noticed by the Chief Engineer, who stepped aside to greet him.

"Commander Shepard," Adams said warmly, shaking his hand. "You look like you're doing well. Fancy seeing you down here."

"You know me, Adams. I like to know my crew and to see how things are going." He gestured over to Tali, who now appeared to be comparing diagnostic charts from the console and her omni-tool. "Speaking of which, how's our new addition doing down here? I didn't really expect to see her working in Engineering."

"Yeah, she came down about a half-hour ago, asking all sorts of questions about our engines."

Shepard frowned. "I'll talk to her about it if she's bothering you."

A look of surprise crossed Adams' features. "What? No, it's not that. She's amazing! I wish my men were half as smart as her. Give her a month on board and she'll probably know more about the Normandy than I do, and I can definitely use an engineer with the talent that she has. I can see why you brought her along."

This was certainly a pleasant surprise. Shepard hadn't considered bringing her along for that reason, but if she was also an expert on tech, all the better.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, Adams. Do you have her busy right now?"

"Well, she did just come on board around two hours ago. I haven't had much time to discuss any real work or maintenance that she could help with."

Shepard grinned. "Fair point. I'll talk to you later, Adams."

"Commander." The chief engineer nodded, turning back to his console.

Shepard approached the quarian team member, who was practically bouncing on her toes at the console she was scanning. He cleared his throat, causing her to turn to him in some surprise. He smiled warmly at her. "Enjoying yourself, Miss Zorah?"

She nodded in earnest. "Keelah, your ship's amazing, Shepard! I've never seen a drive core like this before! It must be large enough to power a cruiser! I'm starting to understand why you humans have been so successful. I had no idea Alliance vessels were so advanced!

Shepard grinned at her enthusiasm. "Well, not all of our ships are like this. The Normandy's a prototype, built with cutting edge technology."

"And to think that a month ago I was patching a make shift fuel line on a converted tug ship on the Flotilla. Now, I'm on one of the most advanced vessels in Citadel space!" She paused for a moment then, no longer bouncing in excitement as she took on a more somber stance. " I have to thank you again for bringing me along, Commander. And for… what you did in the alley. If you hadn't come along…"

Shepard noticed her change in mood, shaking his head at her thanks. "Hey, it's okay. I'm just glad you made it out of there all right." He saw her fidgeting in front of her again, as she had done before. _Probably a nervous habit,_ he thought. _Well, she didn't seem very nervous when talking about the ship._

Changing the subject, Shepard went back to the original topic. "You know you seem really interested in the Normandy's design, Tali. Are you into ships?"

Her hands stopped their movements. "Oh, well yes, actually. Though mostly it comes with being a quarian. As the Migrant Fleet is the key to my people's survival, ships are our most valuable resource. We don't have anything like this, though. Instead, we usually make do with cast-offs, used ships and second hand equipment, and just try to keep them running for as long as we can. Some of the Fleet's larger vessels even date back to our original flight from the geth and our homeworld."

Shepard blinked in surprise. "I can't believe you're still using ships that are over three hundred years old."

"Well, they are being constantly modified and refitted, like the patch I mentioned on the fuel line. They aren't pretty, but they work… mostly," Tali conceded. "We try to make ourselves as independent as we can; grow our own food, mine and process our own fuel. But there are some things that we just cannot make on our own, and the raw materials needed for making new ships or repairing our older ones we just don't have. That's why our Pilgrimages are so important."

The quarian seemed far more relaxed now, having something to discuss about her people.

Shepard nodded encouragingly. "You mentioned the Pilgrimage before back on the Citadel, a rite of passage of sorts. How does it work?"

"At its basic level, the Pilgrimage acts as a way to increase the genetic diversity among the fleet. When my people reach maturity, we leave our birthships and seek out another ship to join on the Flotilla. To do this, we must seek acceptance among the new crew, and to prove we will not be a burden to our new crew members we embark on a Pilgrimage. We venture out alone, leaving the Flotilla and our families behind, only to return once we have brought something of value back to the fleet. This is presented as a gift to the Captain of the ship we wish to join, and if the gift is accepted, we are welcome to join the crew."

"So, at what age are quarians considered mature? Humans normally become adults around twenty or twenty-one… Earth years, anyway."

"The age can vary, but those ages are most common for quarians as well. In your terms, I'm actually twenty-two, but I'm by no means the oldest to go on Pilgrimage." She giggled suddenly. "There oldest we've had on record was approaching thirty before he left. The Captain nearly had to force him off the ship."

"They just send you out alone?"

"It's not like they just cast us out, or at least, not in _most_ cases." Shepard swore he could hear a smile in her voice. "Before we leave, we are given lessons about how to survive outside the Flotilla, as well as blessings and to help us on our journey. All quarians also receive basic combat training and implants to fight off sickness and disease. While are immune systems were never really very strong, generations of living in a sterile environment have devastated them, which is also why we wear these suits."

"By the time we leave, we are well prepared for the Pilgrimage. This is a rite of passage for all quarians. If it were dangerous, our numbers would suffer. Virtually every Pilgrimage ends with a triumphant return, and the ritual presentation of the gift to one of the fleet's Captains. When a Pilgrim is successful, they are presented with a new _realk_ and enviro-suit," she said, gesturing to the cloth that wrapped around her suit and acting as her hood.

Shepard had been smiling up to where she ended her discussion. Wrex was right on his guess of her wanting to tell stories, it seemed. "That all sounds fairly rehearsed, Tali. Do you get asked about the Pilgrimage often?"

She looked down for a moment. "Not really. You're actually the first person to ask about my people since I reached the Citadel."

"Well, don't be discouraged. You're an interesting person, Tali." He saw her stiffen suddenly, but continued anyways. "Adams said that you're an expert on technology, and from what you've told me you have a lot of experience with ships. I think that you'll be a very valuable part of the crew here on the Normandy, and you're welcome to work here in Engineering if you'd like."

"I… thank you, Commander." Tali said, her voice managing to sound flustered even filtered through her mask.

"We should really be thanking you. Without your help, we wouldn't have even been able to go on this mission." Shepard said, noticing the tilt of the quarian's head as she looked away from him for a moment.

"Keelah… thank you! Y-you don't know what that means to me for you to say that!" she stammered, her hands once again dancing with each other at her waist.

"It's the truth," he said, still smiling at her while her eyes darted around behind her mask. He couldn't see it, but if he were to guess, he would say that she'd be blushing. _I guess she isn't used to compliments_, he thought. _Although she does deserve them, after all._

He thought he heard voices in the cargo hold, and realized that he'd been talking to Tali for a while. He wasn't sure how long he'd been on the Engineering deck, but he'd guessed it been at least a good fifteen minutes. Still, he enjoyed listening to the young quarian speak, and while he didn't want to end their conversation, he did have a few other things to take care of. Like the situation that might be brewing between Wrex and Garrus, from the sound of things.

He gave her a nod. "I'm going to check up on the others, but I've enjoyed our conversation down here. We'll talk later, Tali."

"Of course!" she blurted. Shepard raised an eyebrow at her sudden outburst. "I-I mean of course, Shepard. See you later."

Feeling like he was grinning like a fool, Shepard left for the cargo hold in a good mood. The energetic quarian's enthusiasm rubbed off on him, it seemed_. It's good that she's enjoying herself_, he thought as he approached the door to the next room. _And I'm definitely looking forward to talking with her again._

* * *

Tali couldn't help but watch the human as he left, the door to the cargo hold closing behind him. _Keelah, Commander Shepard came down to Engineering to talk to _me. She thought she'd die of embarrassment from her outburst, and Shepard's praise of her skills. She didn't really deserve it; after all, it was expected of a quarian to excel at their skills. Even so, she couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth and pride at Shepard's praise, and his appreciation of her being on board. Whether he was just being nice or genuinely curious about her and her people was yet to be seen, although it certainly seemed like he was the latter.

Feeling happier than she had in some time, Tali went back to the console, looking at the data and power readouts that were displayed on-screen. _I don't know about the rest of the crew_, she thought, thinking of Garrus, _but I definitely want to talk to him again_. Pulling up her omni-tool, she went about making calculations on the drive core. _Hmm, I wonder if I can convert some of the power from here to improve the drive core output…_

Her fingers flashing on both the console and her omni-tool, Tali went about trying to solve the complex problems on her screen, humming softly as she worked.


	6. Chapter 6: Pride and Prejudice

_Took long enough, didn't it. I'm back with another chapter. No, I'm not dead. Given the last month and a half of finals, work, and life in general, though, I really had to make the effort to get this done, making a re-write and being somewhat unsure as to how far I should take it. Still, thank you for waiting the astronomical wait. I won't promise anything here, but I should be able to write more over December and into January, as I'm on break for the most part. Haven't scanned through this chapter yet all too thoroughly, so let me know if you see any mistakes. Enjoy!_

_**12/25/12**: Edits completed! Fixed errors here and there, thanks to laure! And Merry Xmas! :)_

* * *

Chapter 6: Pride and Prejudice

_This is just great_, Ashley thought bitterly. _We have a quarian in the engine room, a turian roaming the ship, and a krogan hulking about who could rage at any minute. The Normandy is still an Alliance vessel, right?_

She tapped her foot impatiently as the elevator moved at an agonizingly slow pace. _Not sure what Shepard's plan is on this one. Really, we hardly know anything about these aliens, and he just offers for them to come aboard after they help us for an hour or so. Either he pegged them right, or we're going to have a situation on our hands soon._

The elevator finally made it to the sub-deck, upon which she promptly exited. She had to take her mind off of this somehow. At the very least she could work on the weapons; could probably use an inspection, and it would probably be a good idea to check what weapons they'd be using before they go toe to toe with Saren and his geth.

Servicemen Emerson was in his usual spot near the Mako, and standing next to several large Alliance crates. _Jackpot._

"Emerson." she greeted him, he returning a quick salute in return. "Did Captain Anderson give us an early Christmas gift?"

"Sure did, by the looks of it," he said with a smile, dropping the salute. "Shepard already came through here, but you're welcome to have a look. Some of the Vindicators look particularly promising."

With a smirk, Ashley went over to one of the crates he gestured to. Sure enough, the container was loaded with a variety of weapons and equipment: Vindicators, Mattocks, even a few shotguns here and there.

Selecting a Vindicator from the crate, she felt the weight of the gun, taking aim down the sights. Good grip, good balance… she could definitely learn to like this one.

"Looks good, Emerson," she said, putting the gun aside. "Looks like some of the others got first pick."

"Yeah, Shepard already got some selected for his locker. Wrex over there took a look as well, grabbed a Crusader and an Argus while he was at it."

Ashley froze, feeling the urge to go for her gun again. "Wrex? You just gave the krogan some of the hardest hitting weapons while he's on the sub-deck?" she said with an icy stare.

Emerson looked taken aback. "Well, yes. Shepard gave us the all clear when it came to the aliens we have aboard. If he trusts them, so do I."

"Being quick to trust has come back to bite us before in the past. This is still an Alliance ship, after all, and I'd be damned if I'll let some aliens we just picked up have free access to weapons whenever they want."

"Well, human. I'd like to see you try to take them from me," Wrex growled.

Ashley nearly jumped at the sound of the krogan's voice from behind her. Emerson gave her a look that said he wasn't getting involved and went back to checking the crates.

Swallowing, she turned to face the krogan, trying not to appear intimidated by the way the reptile was staring at her. _Well, shit._

"You're the human that Shepard picked up," he rumbled. "Fought the geth on Edem Prime, right?"

"What's it to you?" she asked, aloof.

"You've fought Saren's geth and are a skilled warrior. I respect that. But if you're trying to pick a fight, know what you're getting into." Wrex leaned forward until he was inches from her face, glaring at her with a gaze that could freeze lava.

"We would settle things through a fight, krogan to krogan, until one of us couldn't stand when someone insulted us back on Tuchanka, and if they offended your honor, you had grounds for execution. I don't think you'd be able to take the same punishment."

He stepped back for a moment, giving her some (much needed) space. "So before you dictate who comes on board with your commander's permission and how they should be treated, I think you should realize that not all of us fall under some stereotype." A malicious grin split the krogan's reptilian features. "Then again, maybe we do." Wrex lumbered back over to the place he had been resting, next to his newly acquired weapons.

Ashley released a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. A brute she could handle, but one that had brains as well…

The sound of the elevator brought her back from her thoughts. The slow lift revealed a pair of three-toed feet in full armor, which could only belong to the one turian on the ship. Garrus was here now too, it seemed.

She could only shake her head as she grabbed the Vindicator and the rest of the gear she gathered from the crates, moving to a workbench by the lockers. She was now on the opposite end of the cargo hold, but at least she didn't see Wrex from here. _Great. We have the turian, krogan, and quarian, all on the same deck. Throw in an asari and a hanar and we'd have the whole gang._

"Turian. You sure it was a good idea to come down here?" Wrex growled. Ashley set the rifle down on the workbench, going looking it over while listening in to the conversation.

"Wrex. Look I… was thinking about what I said earlier, and I feel that we got off on the wrong foot." Garrus' flanged voice sounded, catching Ashley's attention.

"If I remember right, turian, I was the one on my feet. Yours were dangling a few inches off the floor."

Garrus sounded nonplussed. "Regardless, I thought I'd stop by and say that… I'm sorry, for what I said back there. Could we forget about it, and start fresh?"

_Oh ho, boy, here it comes…_ Ashley thought, her hand drifting back to her rifle through reflex.

There was a pause in the conversation. "You can't take back what's been said…" the krogan rumbled, "…but you're lucky that I'm in a fair mood right now. Shepard's allowed both of us to come on board. Out of respect, I won't start anything here."

There was a pause as the krogan shuffled closer to Garrus. "…but if you even think about pointing a weapon in my direction, you won't have the benefit of the doubt. Cross me, and you're dead. You stay out of my way, and I'll stay out of yours."

Ashley released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. _Okay, they still hate each other, but at least they won't go shooting the place ups… not just yet, anyway._

"Fair enough." Garrus replied, sounding more relaxed. "I guess I'll have a look at the weapons the human captain got us. Wonder if they have any decent sniper rifles…"

Ashley frowned as the turian came into view by Emerson, discussing the weapons and inventory that Anderson had been able to get them. It was crazy to just allow aliens who they'd met just a few hours ago to not only board their ship, but give them free access to their weapons as well. _Why didn't anyone else seem to realize—_

"Shepard." Wrex's baritone voice rang out again, interrupting her thoughts.

"Wrex. Heard a little commotion going on in here earlier. Everything okay?" Ashley heard Shepard's voice reverberate through the cargo hold, calm but commanding.

"Yeah. Just making conversation."

"If I could hear it through the engineering doors, it wasn't just casual conversation. Was that between you and Garrus?"

Garrus turned from the weapons crate, holding one of the Valiant snipers. "Nah, our chat was fairly civil, all things considered."

"Oh?" Shepard's confusion was audible even from where Ashley was.

"The turian's right. Might want to take it up with your human female."

"Williams? She's down here as well?" Ashley tensed a little at the change in his tone of voice.

"Went off to hide by the lockers. Too scared to be seen in the same room with a turian and a krogan."

She couldn't hold back a comment. "I heard that!"

"See? What did I tell you?" Wrex chuckled. Ashley fumed silently, not willing to see (or hear) the krogan's satisfaction of getting to her. Quick footsteps were heard as someone approached the workbench area. Shepard rounded the large crate near the lockers, a frown crossing his features.

"Williams? Is there something you want to discuss?" he asked, his gaze level and unwavering.

"Actually, Commander… could we talk privately, sir?" she asked, not wanting to have Wrex and Garrus listening in to the conversation. Shepard's gaze softened slightly, but the frown remained.

"Come on up to my cabin. We can discuss this there." Shepard motioned for her to follow him. Relieved, Ashley walked with him to the lift, attempting to avoid eye contact with the rest of the hanger's inhabitants. The krogan gave another low chuckle in her direction as they passed, adding to her embarrassment of the situation. _If only you could have kept those thoughts to yourself._

"Wrex, Garrus, Emerson." Shepard said in parting, nodding to each as he entered the lift with her. Pushing the button, they waited the long seconds for the elevator's hydraulics to move them the two and a half meters upwards. Upon reaching the middle deck, they exited without a word, turning right and into the mess hall.

Ashley was nervous, for whatever reason. She knew that she shouldn't have said what she did in the hanger with Wrex hanging around, but how was she to know he was there? Actually, that didn't sound too good either. Why didn't she—

They stopped at Shepard's cabin, originally Captain Anderson's quarters, across from the now empty mess hall. The dim military lighting was comforting to an extent, and the fact that no one else was around to witness this. The cabin doors slid open, and the two Alliance soldiers stepped inside.

"Well, we're in private now. So, I'll ask again; anything you want to discuss?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Commander. I know things are different aboard the Normandy, but… I'm concerned about the aliens. With all due respect Commander, should they have full access to the ship?"

Shepard's brows furrowed, the frown never leaving his face. "They may not be a part of the Alliance, but they're allies in this mission. We all have the same primary goal."

"Right sir, but this is the most advanced ship of the Alliance Navy. I don't think that we should give them free reign to go about the ship as they please; I mean, there's a krogan done by the engine room with a stockpile of weapons, a quarian that could be stealing engine schematics, weapon tech…"

Shepard's frown deepened. "You're stereotyping, Williams. Not exactly the best attitude to have when working with a multiracial crew. And you don't want them to have the same rights on board as the rest of the crew does?"

Ashley felt nervous again. It didn't look like Shepard was going to see her way.

She shook her head. "No sir, but I think we should be… cautious, of them, until we know more about them."

"So you're concerned that they'll act against us? If anything happens to this ship and its crew, then they would be in the crossfire as well. It wouldn't make sense for them to do anything to put us in harm's way if that's what you're thinking," Shepard eyes still searched hers, intense in their piercing blue gaze.

Well, she hadn't really thought about that. The blue-lit cabin seemed to close in on her, its metal walls unforgiving to her current predicament.

"Well, sir, I'm just… I've never worked with non-humans before on a mission. Spent most of my service groundside, and only got one rotation onto a space station for ZG certification."

At last, Shepard's arms came uncrossed, and fell to his sides. His features relaxed, but he remained pensive towards her.

"That's odd, considering your record. With technical scores and a record like yours, you should be serving with the fleet."

_Crap. Hopefully he doesn't know about the Williams' history,_ she thought anxiously.

She coughed. "Yeah, well… that's why I haven't served with any aliens, anyway. Sir."

Shepard raised an eyebrow at her behavior, and a few agonizing seconds passed without conversation.

Finally, he spoke. "All right, Williams, I can understand where your concerns are coming from, having had no real experience with aliens and probably only heard rumors. But you need to be more trusting of our allies on board. This is their mission as much as ours. Like it or not, you're going to have to work with aliens."

She breathed a sigh of relief, as it didn't seem like he would pursue the topic. "Thank you, Commander. Don't worry, it won't be a problem. You say jump, I say "how high?" You ask me to kiss a turian, I'll ask which cheek."

The commander smiled. "Well, I don't think you'll go _that_ far, but I do think that you should work on your team-building with the aliens. Wrex is going to be down in the cargo hold, and Garrus might well decide to stay there as well. How are you at maintaining and modifying weapons?"

His question was a little random, but she took it in stride. "My record shows that I've received several commendations in both field augmentation and modification of weapons and ammunition, sir." _Where was he going with… oh damn it._

"Excellent. For now, I want you to be assigned to the cargo hold for duty, modifying weapons and ammunition and keeping them in good shape. This will also be a good opportunity for you to learn more about the non-Alliance crew, as well. Are we clear?"

Ashley gave a thin smile as she saluted him. "Yes, sir! I won't let you down!"

"Good work, Williams. Dismissed." he said with a nod, getting to the desk and picking up a data-pad. Turning, she left out the door, her smile fading as soon as the door closed. She had to give him credit; forcing her to interact with the aliens, whether she liked it or not.

She shook her head with a sigh. It was times like these she wished that alcohol wasn't contraband. _Well played, Commander. Well played._

* * *

Shepard looked over the holographic tablet in his hands, going over the details of the mission. Navigator Pressly had determined the coordinates of Dr. T'soni's whereabouts, or at least the planet she was on. Located in the Knossos system of the Artemis Tau cluster, it seemed that the mostly uncharted planet Therum was claimed by the Alliance, providing vast amounts of heavy metals to fuel the manufacturing on Earth. Apparently, the world was also once far more inhabitable than it was now, with core samples showing fossils of simple silicon-based life, and many prothean ruins could be found throughout the planet's surface, though most had been looted by now. One could only guess as to why the protheans were on the planet. Perhaps they had been studying the silicon-based life, or harvesting resources like the Alliance was now. With a now scorching average temperature of 59 °C and rife with geological activity, it would probably remain one of the galaxy's many mysteries.

John rubbed his temple with a sigh. They didn't have any other information on this mission besides the fact that T'soni was there, and that Saren and his geth may be involved. If she was in one of the prothean dig sites, then it was likely there were dense industrial mining areas nearby. A perfect place for the geth to set up an ambush.

He looked at the clock, which displayed both the countdown for their ETA to the system and the current time on board, the classic twenty-four hour display reading 23:13, reminding him of his second shift hours for which he had to be up and ready by 06:00. With only another fourteen estimated Earth hours before their arrival, it would be important for him to get what sleep he could. _If_ he could get any.

Frustrated, he set down the holo-pad on the plain, metallic desk. He had the only bed on the Normandy, and he didn't even feel like using it. Everyone else used the sleeper pods out by the mess, but he didn't think he could rest any easier there. It wasn't for the lack of trying, though.

Already in his undershirt and shorts for the night, he selected a clean pair of dress blues from a drawer… and stopped. The Star of Terra, his medal of honor, stared back at him, still in its case as it had been the day he had received it. It's glittering golds and silvers shone brightly even in the dimly lit room, the words _"for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty"_ engraved in the plaque below it. He shut his eyes at the flood of memories, closing the drawer without a second glance. _There wasn't anything gallant about what was done back there._

Mechanically, he set the clothes out by the foot of his bed, folded and ready for the morning. With a touch, the lights dimmed, and he laid his head against his pillow. Silently, he went over the plans for the mission.

_Okay, we'll drop in the Mako from 100 meters up, probably landing near one of the industrial complexes. The planet is geologically active, and there's a considerable amount of volcanos covering the surface. There will probably be geth resistance at and before the dig site, if they are trying to get a hold of Matriarch Benezia's daughter as well. So far, we've only fought their infantry, but there have been Alliance reports of larger versions, armatures. Those have a similar firing output as the Mako does, and would be dangerous to engage on foot. Their shields would be weaker, though, so if we had to face multiple of them, it would be best to snipe them from a distance with the main cannon. If we were to be surrounded by the geth on foot, though, the best case scenario would involve a lot of cover; possibly a building, or a mining structure to take cover in. We'll have all six of us on the ground, but since it will be our first full on combat mission, I should—_

_"Shepard!"_

_He awoke to the sounds of gunfire, acrid smoke burning his nostrils. Rubbing his eyes, he leapt from his bunk, the small building filled with soldiers hurriedly grabbing their rifles and donning their armor. Amy Johnson was getting her combat armor on, and she tossed him his helmet. There was fear in her green-eyed gaze as she looked at him._

_"What's our status?" he asked, gearing up in his own armor, the greys and blacks of the N7 program identical to those of everyone else in the room._

_"We don't know. All we know is that the air raid sirens have started, and we've heard explosions."_

_"Yeah, you'd think they'd tell us about this place being a combat zone before we came here, you know?" Jack Adams said, grabbing an Avenger from his footlocker. "Not exactly how I envisioned N6 training to start."_

_"Command would've let us now before we had our assignment. This must be different," Shepard said as his helmet sealed to his suit with a hisss! of decompression as others followed suit. His team of ten assembled, they left the building in an orderly but hurried fashion, scanning the area. The other squads exited the quarters as well, orders ringing out as he ventured out into the night with his team, the stars hidden in a sky ablaze with the fires of the capital of Elysium. Illyria was under attack!_

_The N5s had decided to stay near the outskirts of the city, from which they were only a few hundred meters from the perimeter. By the sounds of things, the outer walls and barricades were where the attack was coming from. _

_"Let's move! Get to the barricade!" he yelled out, running through the local streets as he and his comrades raced to get to the colony's defenses. Smoke choked the air as they sprinted among the complexes. The city was caught completely off guard. Aside from the few dozen Alliance soldiers on shore leave and several GUARDIAN anti-air turrets, the colony's military strength was in mobile planetary defense cannons; they had little defense against a coordinated ground offensive. The naval base was positioned several miles from their location, and the local militia couldn't hold off the attackers for long, their training for small raids and attacks from local fauna would do little in the face of an organized attack. No sooner had they reached the perimeter then they were set upon by a dozen of the invaders. Diving to cover behind a fountain's wall, Shepard was close enough to recognize the telltale skull and symbols of a pirate gang on their red armor; batarian pirates, or slavers. Despite the batarian two-man advantage, the ten alliance soldiers quickly disposed of the intruders, but not without difficulty; one of the soldiers had taken a hit in the arm, seething in pain even as medi-gel was applied to the wound._

_The ten of them climbed up to the barricade, only to be greeted by the sight of dozens of gunships and shuttles on approach, flying low in an attempt to avoid the AA guns. A mass of bodies approached, and they were forced to take cover from rifle fire, the shots peppering the side of the wall. Shepard dared a second look; hundreds, if not **thousands**_, _of pirates were on the ground, and countless more were undoubtedly in orbit, waiting to strike. They were trying to take Elysium, and there wasn't nearly enough of a force to defend it. _

Dammit, we're only on shore leave, _he thought. _This isn't how things are supposed to—

_"Shepard!"_

_A GUARDIAN turret's laser tore through one of the many air vehicles on approach, bringing him back to reality._

_"Johnson, Adams, you're with me! The rest of you, spread out! Hold this position!" he commanded, taking up his rifle and opening fire as his team followed suit._

_"Sir, there's fucking _hundreds _of them! We don't stand a chance!" Adams cried out, his Avenger assault rifle spraying fire as he ducked back into cover._

_"Stand your ground, serviceman! Johnson, we need to contact the orbital defense stations. We need an orbital strike!" he ordered, picking off two more of the advancing pirates as gunfire continued to ring out. Service Chief Johnson fumbled at her omnitool while Stevens' shields overloaded as a round found its way through his helmet, his body slumping to the ground in a heap as Davidson darted over to move him back against cover, checking for vitals. Several shots impacted Shepard's own shields as he attempted another burst of fire while Johnson frantically typed away at her omni-tool._

_"Fuck! They're jamming us! No one knows we're here!" she cried, her desperation evident. "It could be hours before reinforcements arrive!"_

_"We'll make it, Amy! Just keep—"_

_A pirated Mako's main gun hit the barricade, throwing him from the wall as he crashed to the street below. His shields were down, his respirator damaged. His breathing became more and more shallow and labored as he tried to get up, falling back to the ground. He had to breathe, he _needed_ to _breathe—

* * *

He bolted upright in the bed, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. He shook his head, trying to rid himself from the images. _Just another damn dream_, he thought ruefully, checking the clock to his right as he tried to slow his breathing. 05:15 shone on the small display, still another forty-five minutes from when he should get up. With a sigh, he got out of bed, grabbing his clothes and heading to the showers. _Looks like it's going to be a _long _day._

"Hey Commander, you awake?" Joker's voice sounded over the comm. He stopped, glancing up at the comm.

"What is it, Joker?"

"Just got a ping from Rear Admiral Kahoku, says that he wants to speak with you. Though, seeing as you just woke up, I think he could spare you five minutes."

Hurriedly, Shepard walked back into his cabin and quickly threw on his clothes, getting his boots on with as much speed as he could muster. "I'll be there in two."

Shepard quickly ascended the stairs to the CIC, several servicemen saluting him as he passed. The winding staircase made for an interesting design on an Alliance vessel, but again, the Normandy _was_ of both human and turian design. His walk was fast-paced but professional; even as eager as he was to see his family friend, he still had to maintain some discipline.

Entering through the doors of the CIC, he was presented with the galaxy map, displaying both the Normandy's position in the Artemis Tau cluster and another point in the Serpent Nebula. The Citadel, presumably.

Stepping up to the glowing console, he pressed the holo-key to activate the communications.

"Commander Shepard, is that you?"

Shepard smiled at the sound of his friend's voice. "Here, Admiral. Good to hear from you."

"Likewise, Shepard. Heard that you are now in charge of the Normandy, and a Spectre no less. Moving up in the galaxy since the last time we met, it seems."

"As long as you're there with the Agincourt when we need you, we'll be in good hands," he replied, half-joking about the Admiral's involvement above Elysium.

He could hear the smirk in the Admiral's voice. "Indeed. Though I'm no longer its captain, been stationed on the Citadel for a while now for… diplomatic matters. Which brings me to my point of contacting you, Shepard."

"Oh?" Shepard asked, his interest peaked.

"Yes. I had a team of scouts sent to investigate a planet in the Artemis Tau cluster. They were to locate the whereabouts of the Armistan Banes' ship, a man who was contracted by the Alliance military for research in the Attican Traverse. My men discovered his body, but not the data that he had recovered. We believe that his ship held the information and research, but besides the knowledge that the ship is in the same cluster that you're in, we have little to go on, especially since my men have not reported in for several days."

Shepard frowned at the last sentence. "Do you think there could have been pirates involved?"

"Unlikely, unless they were brave enough or stupid enough to take on an Alliance frigate. They could just have a faulty long-range comms transmitter, for all we know. Still, it doesn't seem right to me, either. I know you have a mission already, but if you could take a look around the cluster with your sensors afterwards, I would be grateful. It would be faster than trying to send in another ship to try to investigate, and the sooner I could learn about the condition of my men, the better." The admiral's voice sounded concerned, but hopeful of his response.

_A recon mission after a pick-up mission. Easy enough,_ he thought, nodding towards the console. "I still do owe you that favor, Admiral. I'll look into it."

He heard a sigh of relief on the other end. "Thank you, Shepard. And good hunting." With that, the communication disconnected, leaving only the galaxy map in its place.

Navigator Pressly looked up from his omni-tool on the left, giving Shepard an encouraging smile.

"The Admiral's still at it, eh, Commander?"

"Looks that way, Pressly. And you are as well, Navigator."

"Yeah, well… some things never change," Pressly chuckled. The mirth fell from his face as he became more serious, giving Shepard a nod. "Still, it wouldn't have been so if you hadn't done what you had on Elysium, Commander. We got there to mop up, but you were the one who saved that colony."

Shepard frowned again at the memories, having had enough of them for a lifetime. "I did what I had to, Pressly. Nothing more."

The navigator seemed to take the hint, nodding in understanding. "Well, Commander, it was damn impressive. I'm glad to have you as the Normandy's Commander, sir."

"Likewise, Navigator. Still, we have a mission ahead of us in a few hours. Going to make the rounds to check on the team, make sure they're ready." _That, and get some oatmeal from the mess for breakfast,_ Shepard thought. Truth be told, it was one of the only dependable foods on the ship, seeing as you made it yourself.

Shepard thought he saw the navigator's eyebrow twitch at the word 'team,' but didn't pursue it. "You do that, Commander," Pressly said as he went back to his station. "Get 'em home in one piece."

Nodding again, Shepard ventured back towards the exit of the CIC, heading for the sub-deck. Pressly went back to his data-pad, opening up a new entry. He didn't want to put anything on Shepard, but he had a few things he wanted to vent about at the moment, and his journal would do fine for now.

* * *

Tali felt the grip of her new shotgun, or at least the best she could through her gloved hands. A Scimitar was what it was called, fast hitting but best for close quarters. The Crusader looked to be promising, but she didn't think she'd be able to carry it around for an extended amount of time. _Keelah, it had to weigh more than twenty kilos!_

The rest of the combat team was down in the cargo hold as well, grabbing various equipment and gear for the mission. _My first mission on the Normandy,_ she thought. She couldn't help but feel excited, and a little nervous. There was always a chance of not making it back from these things, but she didn't think about that. The fact that she was going to be going with the combat team, and that the Normandy's captain was going to lead the operation, was exhilarating. No quarian captain would have ever gone on a simple ground assignment when the rest of the crew was capable, but the Commander was no ordinary captain, it seemed.

Kaidan Alenko walked over to the crate she was looking through, selecting a few canisters of medi-gel from the stash.

"So, feeling nervous, Tali?" he asked warmly, attaching the medi-gel to his hip one canister at a time.

"Some," she admitted, getting some medi-gel as well, along with some suit patches to place in her pack. "I've never been in a "combat operation."

He smiled at her. "Well, don't sweat it too much. We're going to land, check out a dig-site for a scientist, and then we're going to leave. With luck, we might not even have to fire our weapons."

"Of course, we could also run into geth armatures every step of the way on this active volcano of a planet," Wrex rumbled as he raised his Crusader with the ease of lifting a holo-pad. "Might actually make this planet interesting."

Tali tensed at the thought, while Kaidan shook his head at the krogan's remark, unable to stifle a chuckle. "You might be right, Wrex, but that doesn't mean we would want that kind of opposition."

"Whatever you say, human. You have your idea of a good time, and I have mine." Wrex said as he lumbered over to the "Mako," the human tank that the Alliance used. Tali guessed that the tank was how they would be traversing the planet, especially that the planet was significantly covered by volcanic activity.

Commander Shepard finished putting on his armor, the N7 shining on the top right of his chestplate. He paused slightly as he reached for his helmet, almost unnoticeable to those who would not have been paying attention. _Why might he have done that?_ she thought as he continued, placing the rebreather helmet on his head and sealing it with his suit. Still, it wasn't important now. They had a mission to do.

"All right, our mission is to locate and extract Dr. Liara T'soni from a dig site located on the far end of this mining complex," Shepard said as he addressed the soldiers who had assembled in the hold. "The area is littered with magma pits and running lava, so we will only be able to take the main road for the site. Currently, we have the element of surprise due to the Normandy's stealth systems, but any geth sensors in the area will be able to detect the Mako that we will be using on the ground, so expect ambushes along the road and in the denser industrial areas. We should be ready for anything. Once we get to the dig-site, we eliminate any hostiles and deal with the doctor, one way or another. Any questions?"

No words were spoken from any of the other five team members. Nodding, Shepard gestured to the Mako. "Let's mount up."

One by one, the crew entered the Mako, surprisingly large enough to fit all six of them and with seats for two more, although the interior was a little cramped. Shepard was in the driver's chair of the vehicle, while Kaidan sat "shotgun," another one of the strange human phrases. Garrus took up the gunner's seat as Wrex and Ashley Williams sat in the back.

"Joker, what's our ETA?" Shepard asked, his hands resting on the wheel."

"Thirty seconds to the drop point, Commander. Looks like a fun house down there. I'll take my climate controlled bridge here on the Normandy, thanks."

"Copy that, Joker. Open the hatch when we're close."

Tali wasn't sure if she heard them right. "Wait, drop point?" she asked, confused.

Ashley gave a chuckle. "Yeah, the Mako isn't exactly a standard tank like the Grizzly, kid."

"What do you mean?" she began to feel more nervous about the situation by the second, not helped by the amused smile that Ashley was giving her.

"You'll see soon enough."

The hatch released, opening up to reveal a red and charcoal landscape of rock and lava, brown earth and ash mixing together to form an hellish scene.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for flying Normandy Airlines." Joker's voice came over the comms again as the Normandy began to slow down. "We thank you for your business, and hope you've enjoyed your flight. Have a nice trip!"

With that, Shepard gunned the Mako forward off the ramp, leaving the craft weightless as it plunged the hundred meters to the surface.

"Oh, Keelah!" Tali cried out of surprise as the Mako's thrusters slowed their descent just before they impacted the ground. She looked about the interior of the vehicle, embarrassed as she saw Ashley smirking at her reaction, and Wrex outright chuckling.

_Okay, well, at least the worst part should be over—_ her thoughts were interrupted by the vehicle's lurch forward, literally bouncing along the uneven path. Ashley looked across from her again, still smirking. "First time on a Mako, huh? Don't sweat it, I almost threw up on my first ride in one of these. The things can really jostle you around."

A particularly hard bump punctuated this, causing Tali to feel nauseous, holding her stomach. _Great. Well, at least they weren't being shot—_

The Mako lurched again, taking a sharp turn to the right. "Garrus, man the gun. We've got geth contacts." Shepard said from the wheel as his driving became even more sporadic.

Tali groaned as the vehicle jumped about, Shepard even deploying the thrusters to avoid fire. Wrex was only laughing at the display, not even caring about the enemies outside.

"Ah, take it easy there, Shepard!" Wrex laughed. "Looks like we have a quarian with a stomach ache!"

_Bosh'tet._ Tali thought as the craft lurched forward again, her seatbelt her saving grace. The sooner they reached the dig-site, the better.

* * *

_Wasn't too sure how to end this one, but again, I felt you guys waited long enough for it, and I'll make adjustments to it soon. I'll try my best to get the next chapter up sooner. Until next time! :)_


	7. Chapter 7: The Archeologist

_So... three months. Yeah._

_It's been an incredibly time-consuming semester here, and between that and writer's block I didn't have much drive to write. Even so, I never gave up on it, and managed to irk out a few sentences or paragraphs here and there. I just managed to get the feel for it again, and thankfully I have some great friends and fellow writers who helped me stick with it. This chapter hasn't been peer-edited yet, so please let me know if things could use some work or you have any suggestions!_

_Also, this chapter's word count was unintentional, but I figure you guys could use a long chapter after such a long hiatus. )_

* * *

Chapter 7: The Archeologist

The Mako continued on with reckless abandon, the cannon silent for the moment as the vehicle pushed on over the volcanic terrain. _Good thing the Normandy is equipped with a Mako,_ Shepard thought. _We would never make it to the dig site in a shuttle._

A particularly rough bump jostled the whole vehicle, earning a few groans of displeasure from the back of the tank.

"Everyone okay back there?" Shepard asked, turning in his seat to look at the squad.

"Bout busted my hump, but I'll manage," Wrex grumbled. "Looks like the quarian's holding up too, if barely."

"All set Commander," Williams replied. Alenko and Garrus gave Shepard a nod from their respective seats.

Shepard returned a nod of his own, turning back to scan for more contacts. "Good enough. We've got a few industrial complexes up ahead. Looks like a good place for an ambush. Stay alert."

The Mako rolled forward again, taking care to avoid a few lava pools and not deviate from the center of the rode. Granted, they had no idea what they were up against going into this mission, so if the geth had been planetside for a while there could be mines on the road for all they knew.

"Uh, Commander?" Joker's voice pinged over the comms.

Shepard hit the receiver for the vehicle's speakers. "Go ahead, Joker."

"We just registered some strange readings coming from the dig site, just over two klicks from your position. Crazy energy spike in the power grid."

"Copy that, Joker. We'll lock in on the coordinates," Shepard said as the satellite imaging of the terrain was brought up. "Looks like we have to drive through a complex ahead. Garrus, be ready."

"On it, Boss," the turian responded, bringing up the targeting systems.

The team continued on as the surrounding area became more and more enclosed, a small valley of sorts leading to the structure. When the road forked, they were faced with a large gated barricade… and several geth armatures, one standing easily three meters tall.

"That's new!" Shepard grunted, beginning evasive maneuvers as Garrus began to fire the main cannon at them.

"Ha, only an idiot would punch a nathak in the mouth," Wrex scoffed. "We should go around and pull its tail."

"Uh… translation?" Williams asked, perplexed.

"He means it's best if we take the other road," Alenko clarified. "And personally, I agree. I've never seen that kind of geth before, but judging by the size of—"

A glowing light began to emit from the "head" of the monster armature, shooting a powerful projectile that exploded just to the right of the Mako.

"—it packs a hell of a punch. Damn!" Alenko shouted as the craft jostled about from the blast.

"On it!" Shepard cried out, engaging the Mako's thrusters to avoid any more oncoming fire. The Alliance tank just managed to get over the dividing hill that separated the roads. The right side of the road was a lot more cramped with pipelines and large processing tanks; obviously the route was intended for a much smaller vehicle. There were only a few geth on this route by comparison, a single armature blocking their path as its shots flew past them.

A blast from the main cannon was enough to drop its shields, and a prompt second was enough to take it down. _I have to hand it to him,_ Shepard thought. _Garrus is a pretty good shot._

The Mako drove around the gated barricade into a staging area of sorts behind it; several geth troopers were standing amongst crates and supplies, apparently searching for salvage or technologies. Caught off guard, the synthetics barely put up a fight as the tank tore through them, gunfire and grenades hardly damaging the shields.

"Nice gunning, Garrus," Shepard said, complementing the turian's handiwork.

"Thank you, Shepard. Though it's a little difficult with the aiming of this vehicle, feels like the secondary guns don't quite follow the line of sight. Main cannon could use some work, too."

"Well, you're welcome to calibrate the guns back on the Normandy, big shot," Williams commented. "I'm hoping we don't run into any of the big ones from here on, though."

The chief looked over to their silent companion in the back. "Hey Tali, you wouldn't have any insight on these geth, would you?"

The quarian spoke up in a somewhat nauseous-sounding voice. "No, we originally made the geth for heavy lifting and tasks that would prove more dangerous to quarians. They've modified themselves to make these tank-like models. The largest ones we simply call a colossus, or colossi."

"Fitting," Alenko said dryly. "The thing was the size of a house."

"Looks like the geth haven't been here too long, then," Shepard thought aloud. "They'd have more turret defenses and roadblocks set up rather than a few mobile anti-vehicle platforms."

On the whole, the "operation" that they were performing was going well. They were making good time to the dig-site, the geth they were confronted with seemed to only be in scouting force, and those that might have presented a problem were few and far between. _It's just as they always say, though,_ Shepard thought. _When things are looking too good to be true, they probably are_.

The crew continued on through the road until the volcanic dirt ran out, leading into even rougher terrain. A small cut-out in an otherwise solid rock cliff face seemed to be the only way to get to the doctor's location.

"Great, just what we needed," Shepard muttered, mentally kicking himself for thinking down on their luck.

"Ah, I'm sure this thing can fit through there, just give it a nudge," Wrex said with a grin.

"Not unless you want to scratch the paint… and lose a few wheels," Shepard frowned, stopping the vehicle. "Looks like we're heading outside earlier than planned. Even though the geth won't be able to see us from thermal scans, we're not going to leave the Mako here unguarded. Garrus, Williams, you hang back and defend the vehicle until Joker can pick you up. Once the Mako's in tow, have Joker fly back to a safe distance until we've secured the doctor. Understood?"

"You got it, Commander," Garrus said. Williams gave him an appropriate nod as he moved towards the back of the vehicle, the hatch to the Mako disengaged. Hot air billowed into the vehicle as the four remaining crew members stepped outside, the ashen landscape looking as bleak as ever. Wrex was the only one of the four to not be wearing a helmet, which he demonstrated with a deep breath.

"Ah, another fifty degrees hotter and I might start to feel uncomfortable," Wrex chortled. "How are you mammals doing?"

"Better now that I'm out of the Mako," Alenko said. "No offense Commander, but that wasn't exactly a smooth ride."

Shepard drew his Vindicator as he cracked a smile under his helmet. "It would've been easier if they paved the roads. Or if we didn't have a small army after us. I'll take point."

* * *

Tali shuddered despite the heat as she and the others followed behind Shepard, their weapons drawn as they scanned their surroundings. Upon crossing through the crack in the rocks, the four of them had found themselves in a rocky ravine, the large volcanic outcrops overlooking either side like teeth jutting from the ground. Her eyes darted back and forth as she gripped her Phalanx pistol nervously, uncomfortable in the open and exposed space. _The geth could be ready to ambush us at any moment,_ she worried. _It's true that their thermal sensors won't work as well in this heat, but that doesn't mean that they don't know we're here. The geth we destroyed to get here must have communicated with the rest of the network—_

"You okay, Tali?"

She turned to the sudden voice sharply, finding Commander Shepard giving her a curious look from his helmet. She looked down and saw that her hands were shaking. _Bosh'tet_, she thought as she willed them to stop.

Shepard shook his head softly. "It's okay to be nervous. This is your first mission in a combat situation, right?"

She nodded. "I know that I shouldn't be feeling anxious about this, but there could be geth hiding anywhere along these rock faces. I'm just…" she trailed off, fighting to keep her hands from starting up again.

"It's good to be cautious about this," Shepard said calmly as they continued walking. "Anxiety is a different story. It makes you unfocused on the situation, causes you to make mistakes." He turned to scan the outcrops from right to left. "Any reason you're feeling anxious in particular?"

Tali took a deep breath to steady herself. "Well, the geth are linked through a network that each geth platform contributes to. Their software uploads data to all geth in range, meaning that every geth we fought coming in communicated to all other geth on the planet."

"Damn, guess we're not being as stealthy as we thought," Kaidan muttered, keeping his Avenger level as they walked up the rocky slope.

"Bah, who needs stealth when you have a shotgun?" Wrex asked as he hefted the Crusader, grinning broadly at the weight. "And if they know we're coming, what's the point?"

Tali shook her head. "They may not know where we are now. The geth know where we were going, but until they actually see us they cannot—"

A sniper projectile shattered Shepard's shields, causing the squad to dive to cover among the rocks.

"Commander! Are you all right?" Kaidan asked, ducking as another shot hit the rock just above his head. Shepard checked himself over, nodding.

"Just took out the shields. Well, so much for stealth," he grunted, holstering the Vindicator rifle as he brought out the Viper sniper rifle from his back. "Did you see where that came from?"

"Somewhere in front of us, the shot didn't come from either of the cliff faces," Kaidan said as Shepard glanced up over the cover for a moment, ducking back down once again as another shot cracked overhead. Tali's heart was pounding at the sudden change in events. _I know they're soldiers, but keelah, Shepard could have died from that! How can they act so calm about it?_

Shepard glanced down at his omnitool, displaying the terrain ahead of him from the Normandy's imaging of the site. "Got it. Sniper is sitting in a small observation tower ahead of us. I've got it trained on me right now, so I'll need a distraction to take the shot." He looked around at the three of them, seeming to lose his composure for a moment. Tali knew from his body language what he was about to ask, and quickly thought of an alternative. "I don't want to ask any of you to do this, so—"

"Actually, ah… Commander Shepard?" Tali asked, causing the three others to turn towards her. "I have a combat drone linked to my omni-tool. I could cast it out to distract the geth."

Shepard gave her a surprised look from his helmet as the others did the same.

"Sounds like a plan," Kaidan said, keeping his head down.

"Assuming the machine takes the bait," Wrex rumbled.

Shepard looked down at his rifle, then back to her, nodding in earnest. "Well, it's worth a try, at least. Give it a go."

Smiling to herself, Tali activated the small holographic drone, whispering a small "Go get them, Chiktikka," as the purple and orange ball moved out in the open area. Sure enough, the geth fell for it, causing the holographic drone to flicker and burst from the impact of the rifle. Shepard moved in a blur of motion, taking a shot as soon as he had scoped in his target.

"Sniper down. Let's move up," Shepard said, motioning for the others to follow. Tali felt adrenaline kicking in as she moved along with the others as they traversed the rocky terrain, ready for more geth to pop out at any moment_. That sniper _must_ have relayed our position, _she thought worriedly. _Keelah,_ _This_ _could be bad…_

* * *

It had been relatively quiet in the Mako since the majority of the team had left. Of course, it didn't help that Ashley was stuck at the wheel with a turian on the gun. _I know that Shepard wanted me to work with the aliens, but I didn't think he'd trust me with this kind of situation,_ she thought with disdain. So far the two hadn't even looked in each other's directions, just sitting in their respective seats and trying to remain attentive at the gun and the wheel.

"So, Williams, guess we're stuck here while Shepard and the rest of the gang goes off to shoot geth and extract one Dr. Liara T'soni," Garrus said suddenly, probably attempting to break the ice. "I don't know how long it's going to take for the four of them to get to the dig site on foot, but we do have some time on our hands," he added, swiveling the tank's gun back and forth.

Ashley sighed. Of course he had to bring up the wait time. "Shouldn't be too long. Wish we were doing something besides sitting on our asses, though. Who knows what they might be up against?"

"Could be a few geth troops on foot. Could also be a couple of those colossi that Tali spoke of. Or they might just have to fight against the heat," Garrus shrugged. "Haven't had much time to think about it, but we're out on the fringe of the galaxy fighting against a race of synthetics that everyone thought kept to themselves. Seems odd that they suddenly start invading colonies after three hundred years."

"You mean Eden Prime?" Ashley asked, suddenly feeling defensive.

"Yeah, you were there, right? The prothean beacon was what lured Saren and the geth to the colony, but no one questions how Saren had the geth at his disposal in the first place. Why would the geth suddenly involve themselves with an organic just because he claimed to a prophet for the Reapers? Surely he didn't flag them down without something having something to convince them," Garrus mused.

Ashley sighed. "I'm not really sure what was so special about the beacon. I know that my entire unit was wiped out trying to defend it and the colonists, and that Shepard used it before it… exploded."

The turian's mandibles flicked, bowing his head with a sigh. "And Shepard can't make sense of it… though for what it's worth, I'm sorry about your team."

Ashley was surprised at the sincerity in his voice, but didn't quite let her guard down. "They deserve justice for what Saren and his geth did. The sooner we put the bastard in the ground, the better."

"Damn right." Garrus turned back to the gun sights, keeping himself occupied with training the cannon back and forth on the volcanic cliffs that surrounded them. A moment of silence passed in the cramped tank, interrupted only by the light clinking sound of the turians talons on the handles that directed the gun. It seemed that neither of them had much to say, and with everything on her mind, Ashley was glad for the time to her thoughts.

At least until a blip appeared on the vehicle's motion-sensors, too large and too fast to be interference from the lava nearby.

"Garrus, we've got movement. Something fast heading our way," she warned, getting herself situated in the driver's seat.

The turian's mandibles twitched with anticipation, looking back to the gun's holo-screen. "Ah, I was hoping we wouldn't miss out on all the action. What do we have?"

"We haven't seen any geth land vehicles so far, and there's no way a colossus could be moving at this speed." Her brow furrowed as two more blips appeared, moving in the same direction. A sinking feeling crept into her gut as she realized what they were, her hand already reaching for the comms.

"Commander Shepard?"

There was a slight pause on the line before he answered. "Go ahead, Williams."

"I'm not sure what's going on, but you've got three geth dropships inbound, all headed towards the dig site. You need to find cover, now!"

Shepard muttered something under his breath before speaking up. "Damn it. Look, Tali says that the geth network knows we're coming, and that pretty every geth on the planet knows where we are. Joker's going to need to be here a little earlier."

"Or we could get to the site," she scowled. "Screw the Mako's paint job, we're coming to you."

"Williams, we don't—" an explosion rang out over the comm, followed by a burst of gunfire as the radio was cut off.

"Commander? Commander, do you copy?!" she asked, demanding an answer from the other end. Only static came from the channel. "Joker, this is Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams. We need some fire support, over!" The same steady hiss of static continued. Either the Mako suddenly lost communications, or the geth were jamming them.

"Damn it!" she swore, revving the tank's engine as the systems sprung to life. "Might want to hang back there Garrus. Diverting all power to thrusters."

"What?"

Garrus' complaints went unnoticed as the Mako jumped into the air, the screeching of metal against the basalt rocks jarring even in full combat gear. The Mako landed on the other side of the blockage gracelessly, hard enough to jostle them in their seats.

"Williams? What the hell?!" he squawked.

"We're through, that's what." Ashley looked around at the damage, the readings on the monitor showing damage to the middle and rear axles as well as to the underside of the cabin. _As long as we don't get shot on our underside, we're good_, she thought.

Driving the tank forward felt more sluggish, but it couldn't be helped now. Reallocating the power back to their standard systems, the gunnery chief drove the battered but operational Alliance tank over the charred rocks and rubble, eyes set on reaching the transponder signals of Shepard and the rest of the crew.

"Garrus, you still ready for some action?"

His response was clipped and agitated. "After I probably broke a few plates? Absolutely."

Ashley grinned darkly. "Shepard's going to get some unexpected fire support. Let's kick some ass."

* * *

"Two on the right!" Shepard called out, ducking behind a rusted metal crate just large enough to provide cover.

Tali had already seen more combat in the last twenty minutes than she had in her entire life, and it wasn't getting any easier. The four of them had just made it beyond the geth sniper's previous position before Chief Williams had warned Shepard about the inbound dropships, and had managed to scramble to cover amidst the abandoned construction and salvage equipment just a hundred meters short of the dig site's entrance.

Hiding behind a loading vehicle, Tali waited for the Scimitar to cool down before she dared to aim around the corner again. Her heart pounded in her ears as she drew in quick breaths, gripping her shotgun tightly as she popped out of cover to fire off a trio of shots before she ducked back once more, frustrated at the dangerous and repetitive process. She glanced upward to see the three geth dropships still circling the area, but they seemed either unable to track their movements or unwilling to fire upon them with the number of geth troopers on the ground. And there were a LOT of geth to contend with.

"This shotgun packs a punch, but it's unforgiving," Wrex grumbled, waiting for the gun's heat sinks to cool. "You have to aim with it, and when you do your ass is hanging out for the geth."

"We're all dealing with problems right now, Wrex!" Kaidan cried out, throwing a geth careening into a lamppost with a satisfying crunch of metal. "How's that signal coming, Tali?"

Her suit's internal systems were working furiously to regulate her body temperature as sweat dripped from her brow and her breath fogged her visor. The geth jammers had taken them completely off guard, and after the team realized their communications were cut off Shepard had ordered them all to take cover and essentially hold out until Joker made a fly-by with the Normandy; as Wrex put it, they were "varren meat." Their despair had turned quickly to hope and surprise when she had told them of her hacking abilities, and she set about finding a bypass for the geth jammers the dropships were using. Hacking a geth's subroutines (which was then promptly destroyed by the other geth through "friendly fire"), she glanced down at her omnitool's status of their signal and the geth firewalls. After sending several follow-up commands and adding junk data to the jamming system, an estimated five minutes and twenty seconds was displayed for her hack's completion.

"Bosh'tet!" Tali swore under her breath. _Five minutes?! _"The geth are still jamming us! I'll need another five minutes to hack their ships' systems!"

Commander Shepard lobbed a grenade from behind his crate, firing his rifle as he ran over to join her behind the small forklift-like vehicle.

"Looks like we need to find a way to buy some time," Shepard said, bringing out a small missile launcher from his back. "Does everyone have heavy ordinance?"

"What's the plan, Shepard?" Kaidan asked, drawing his own heavy weapon as Wrex did the same from behind his crate.

One of the geth dropships passed directly overhead, causing them to move again amongst the sparse cover. Shepard motioned the weapon towards the vehicle, nodding to his comrades. Kaidan seemed ready to object even as Wrex's features broke out in a feral grin.

"You know that they're going to target us as soon as we fire on them, right?" Kaidan said, nonplussed. "We're going to be hard pressed for cover out here when they do."

"They probably aren't going to wait much longer as it is, Alenko. If it'll buy us time and get the geth off Tali's back, then we're doing it." Shepard looked across the 'no man's land' that was now between their cover and the dig site entrance, disengaging his gun's safety mechanism. "We need to split up and stick to cover. Don't fire on any of them until my go. Once I give the word, target the same ship and hit it at the same time, and with luck, our first salvo will take its shields down. After that, reload and fire whatever you've got left. We take one out of the game, and Tali might be able to get past the jamming signal." Wrex punctuated this as he blasted another geth off its feet, the shotgun in one hand while the missile launcher was in the other.

As if on cue, a whining sound blared overhead from one of the dropships as a bright light emitted from its two cannons.

"Let's move!" Shepard shouted, darting towards a stack of pipes as the others moved in opposite directions. Tali shut her eyes instinctively as the geth cannons' pulses struck the ground with explosive force, sending showers of mud and ash into the air that rained down on her and the rest of the team. The dropship floated lazily overhead, scanning for its targets as it avoided a half-constructed pipeline. Wrex raised his weapon from behind a support beam for the construction site, aiming at the geth construct with anticipation as Shepard and Kaidan did the same from their own respective covers.

"One, two, three… now!" Shepard called out, signaling the team. Like all plans, however, the devil was in the details, as no one seemed to have accounted for the extent of the end result.

**BANG.**

One moment she was standing, and the next Tali found herself knocked to the ground and her suit's aural intakes auto-disable mode on, ears ringing from the resulting explosion. A trail of flames and leaking fluids sprung from the ship in question as it flew out of control overhead, careening into the support wall opposite of the dig-site with a terrible crash, showering the surroundings with shorn off scrap metal. Gingerly, she uncurled herself from her fetal position, giving her suit a quick once over. Her shields were near maximum capacity, and while her side and arms were now caked with mud her suit diagnostics didn't detect any cuts or tears. Groaning, she lifted herself up from the dirt, trying to regain some focus on her surroundings.

"Keelah," she breathed. If the surrounding area hadn't looked like a warzone yet, it did now. The destroyed geth ship burned with blue and orange flames, a hazy trail of smoke adding to the hellish scene. The already ash-strewn ground now sported a blackened hue from their missiles' explosions, its surface dotted with craters easily a meter in diameter where the dropship had rained fire upon them. Smoking scrap metal and geth technology littered the ground, and there didn't seem to be any signs of life, organic or—

A jolt ran through her spine as Tali began to fervently scan the area. _The crew! Where was the crew?_

"Commander Shepard?" she called out. "Wrex, Lieutenant Alenko, are you there?" Her eyes flitted about the torn encampment, desperate for any sign of the Normandy's team. A fit of coughing from her left caught her attention, the cough turning into a throaty laugh. Wrex stumbled out from behind the now blackened pillar, his face full of soot and mirth.

"Haha, damn Shepard. If I'd known humans kept these weapons lying around, I would have taken more jobs from them." Tali was almost agape at the krogan's apparent lack of concern, but exhaled a sigh of relief as she saw both Kaidan and Shepard rise from the wreckage, although they certainly looked worse for wear.

"Everyone all right?" Shepard asked, looking each of them over. Tali noticed that the N7 armor he wore now sported multiple cuts and slashes in its ablative plating, but otherwise he seemed well.

"All good, Commander." Kaidan replied, his helmet swiveling to Wrex's position. "You didn't seriously just use a particle accelerator, did you?"

The krogan hoisted the still smoking gun up for them to see, grunting an affirmative. "It kicks ass."

Shepard's eyes were hard behind his visor. "You could have gotten us all killed, Wrex! If that ship had been a few meters closer to us…"

"Come on, it got the job done, didn't it?" Wrex laughed, "Besides, those weapons of yours didn't do squat. Be easier if we all had these things handy."

The two humans exchanged glances before turning back to Wrex. Kaidan, whose armor was now as blackened as Wrex's, spoke first. "...I'll admit, it got results. Just… give us a little heads-up next time, you know?"

"And some God damn breathing room," Shepard growled, but he seemed to relax. Shaking his head, Shepard walked over to Tali. "Those dropships scattered as soon as the first went down, but they'll probably be back soon. How much time until you can get past the jamming signal, Tali?"

Tali looked down at her omnitool's display, the estimated hack time now considerably less than four minutes due to the diminished geth presence. "Forty-five seconds, Shepard."

Shepard nodded, looking at the surrounding wreckage and damaged vehicles. "We might not have that long with the cover we have. Best to make a break for it. We'll have more cover when we're inside the dig-site."

"Was never the best at the hundred meter dash, Commander," Kaidan said sarcastically, but even as he spoke the whir of engines could be heard approaching. Tali looked up towards the sound in tandem with the squad, then back to Shepard, all of them making eye contact for a few moments.

"Uh, Commander?"

"Shit…"

"Keelah—"

"Move!" Shepard shouted, taking off in a dead sprint. Tali's legs moved as fast as they could carry her, easily outpacing the rest of the squad as she glanced skyward for the ships. The two ship's silhouettes appeared on the horizon, and were advancing fast. By now they'd covered more than half of the ground, and Tali was almost to the ramp that led to the site's entrance. _Just a bit further…_

Dashing forward as her feet pounded against metal, Tali sprinted up the walkway that led to the door and their salvation. By the will of the Ancestors, the entrance to the site was unlocked, and opened when she approached.  
"The door's open, Shepard!" she said breathlessly as she turned back to her comrades. "I'll seal the entrance once everyone…"

She trailed off as she saw that the rest of the team had just made it to the foot of the ramp, likely only seconds away. What silenced her was the two dropships now looming overhead, charging their weapons at the exposed soldiers.

"Commander Shepard!" she cried, "Look out!"

Her heart sank in dread as an explosion flashed from a geth ship, bright enough to force her to squint. Curiously, none of the team seemed injured after the blast, but instead the dropship itself seemed to have taken some damage.

Her omnitool signaled that the jammer was surpassed, from which Ashley's voice sprung forth.

"Knock knock, you bastards! Give em' hell, Garrus!"

_Ashley?_ The team sprinted past her as they came through the door, panting and out of breath. Tali promptly locked down with a resounding _THUD!_ as soon as they were all inside, relieved that they were all still alive.

"Shepard, are you all right? Are you hurt?" she asked, worried for all of their safety while moving to support Shepard as he panted for air. Wrex grumbled something under his breath about humans only having two lungs. Shepard nodded to her in thanks and motioned to Kaidan, who also seemed to struggle for breath. After Kaidan signaled he was okay, Shepard brought a hand to his helmet's communicator.

"Williams, this is Shepard. Tali just bypassed the geth jammers… what's your status?" he panted.

"Driving the Mako, sir. Garrus is on the gun. Figured you'd need some help after we saw those ships headed your way."

The confused look he gave them was almost enough for Tali to giggle were the situation not so serious. "You're going to have to tell me how you managed to get the Mako through once we're back on the Normandy, Chief. How are you holding up against those dropships?"

"Mako took some damage earlier, but our shields are still going strong."

"Apparently the geth don't like the heavy cannon," Garrus quipped.

"We'll have you covered until you can get to that doctor, Commander," Ashley said determinedly. "Geth must want her badly if they're putting this much effort into grabbing her."

"Understood," Shepard said, switching channels to contact the Normandy. "Joker, we're going to need you here on standby in case the geth jam us again."

The ship's pilot voice broadcasted to all of their omnitools as he spoke. "Yeah, no problem, Commander. Just, you know, the active volcano of a planet that might fry our sensors or melt us down."

"Joker."

"Right. ETA ten minutes Commander."

"Good," he said, removing his hand from his helmet to look around apologetically to Tali, Wrex, and Kaidan. "…I'm sorry I put your lives at risk back there. If Garrus and Williams hadn't shown up…"

Wrex, of all people, silenced him before he could continue. "Shepard, it was either stand around and get shot, or get shot trying to make it there. I'd rather do something than just wait for the end." A grin slowly split the krogan's features. "And you can consider us even now in getting ourselves blown up."

"Uh, that still leaves Tali and me," Kaidan voiced. "I think we've had enough of risking each other's lives for this mission."

"Agreed," Tali joined in. "Those doors should hold against whatever the geth try to throw at them, but they were unlocked when I got here."

"Which means that there's probably geth further in," Shepard grunted, readying his weapon. "Let's go find this doctor."

* * *

The tunnels leading into the dig-site were far more foreboding than Shepard thought they'd be. The fact that the prothean ruins were mostly undisturbed for fifty-thousand years didn't help for all the tales of traps or cave-ins that were told. Some stories even went so far as to have the ghosts and spirits of the long dead protheans haunt them, claiming the lives of the unwary. Those were bogus of course, but the danger and mystery surrounding such ruins was not to be underestimated.

It was clear that the excavation team had put a great deal of scaffolding and metal walkways through the cave-like formation of ancient lava flows, the crumbling rock and basalt forming swirls and stalactites. Whether the dig team had evacuated before the geth arrived or not was unknown, but given the number of tools and equipment scattered about coupled with the makeshift tables and floodlights, it was probably the latter.

An enormous kinetic barrier bathed the walkway ahead in soft blue light, cutting off their path directly into the prothean ruin. It seemed that the excavators may have had to work around it as well, as an elevator platform to their left seemed far more recent and rugged than the smooth, crisp white of the prothean-made walls.

Alenko whistled at the architecture. "You have to hand it to the protheans, they built to last."

"I've never seen a prothean ruin like this before," Tali said in a reverent tone. "It looks… amazing. Just think of the technology that's supporting those shields! If only there was time to find the schematics for it…"

Shepard grinned from behind his helmet. Tali had surprised them time and time again in this mission, and despite all that had happened on her first time in a combat zone she was still marveling at tech. "Think that would work for a Pilgrimage gift?" he asked.

She looked back to him, then back to the barrier, shrugging. "If not, then at least the fleet would have an advantage whenever coming across pirates or the geth."

The clang of metal dropping to the ground further inside the cavern ended their conversation, the whole team bringing their weapons to bear.

"Contacts further in," Kaidan said, just barely above a whisper. "Let's hope this elevator here doesn't give us away."

Clustering together, the four boarded the open car, alert and listening for any signs of movement. The elevator jerked loudly before beginning its decent, bringing a small chuckle from Wrex.

"I don't know why we even try."

A moment later four geth flyers ventured up to investigate, clicking and scanning the area with their flashlights. A high-pitched beeping emitted from the foremost drone, having reached the elevator and source of the noise.

"Take them out!" Shepard commanded as the elevator car grew bright with the flashes of weapons fire. The drones only managed to fire off several shots before they hurtled to the ground one by one. With a whine, the final drone dive-bombed into the elevator tram system, causing the whole car to lurch and shudder as the vehicle lost power.

"Damn it," Shepard muttered. The elevator slowed to a stop just a meter before the bottom, the cables system sparking and crackling with exposed wires and twisted metal. "Well, there goes our ride back up," he said, jumping out of the elevator car. "Hopefully there's another one to the surface further in."

"You know Commander, this isn't my idea of an easy rescue mission," Alenko voiced, landing with a grunt alongside Tali.

"If I remember right, you were the one who was hoping for an easy mission, Alenko," Shepard said with a smirk. "Something about if we were lucky we wouldn't even have to fire our guns?"

Alenko bristled at the joke. "I was being optimistic about it, at least. You know, hope for the best, expect the worst?"

"Well, if that was the worst the geth could throw at us, then we've already won," Wrex chuckled as he hopped out, the entire elevator car shifting as he did so.

Shepard took in the sight before him, cautious about his advancement. Far more damage done to the elevator than they originally thought, as it seemed the entirety of the scaffolding on this level was misshapen and charred… bullet holes decorated the metal grates and siding, and fresh scorch marks from explosives could be seen on the prothean ruin. _Obviously this wasn't the excavation team_, Shepard thought dryly, _but why would the geth be destroying their route back up?_

Another area below them was bathed in the blue light from the kinetic barriers. The protheans had been dead set on keeping people out of their constructs, it seemed. In hindsight, the geth were probably trying to blast their way through the barrier, though given the apparent strength of it they probably—

_"Um… hello? Can somebody help me… please?"_

Shepard stopped at the distorted voice coming from below. "I think we've found our doctor," he said, jumping down from the destroyed walkway as the others followed suit. Sure enough, the barrier held an asari dressed in a green and white science jumpsuit on the other side, suspended in some sort of bubble.

The asari's eyes went frantic at the sight of them. _"Can you hear me out there? I'm trapped, I need help!"_

He gave her a small smile. "Dr. T'soni, I presume?"

_"Thank the Goddess!"_ she exhaled in relief. _"I did not think anyone would come looking for me. Listen, this… thing, I'm inside of is a prothean security device. I cannot move, so I need you to get me out of it, all right?"_

"How did you get in there?" Alenko asked, eyeing the prothean barrier.

_"I was exploring the ruins while the excavators were taking a lunch break. Then suddenly I heard screaming coming from their pre-fabs. I rushed out to see them all being… slaughtered, by geth." _

The doctor shuddered._ Can you believe that? Geth, beyond the Veil! I activated the prothean tower's defenses to keep them out… but I must have hit something I wasn't supposed to. I was trapped in here, you must get me out, please!"_

Wrex glared at her. "So you're the only survivor of the geth attack, who just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Benezia's working for Saren, and this is her daughter, Shepard. This could be a trap."

Shepard looked over to Wrex, then back to the asari, looking at her predicament from a different perspective. On a second glance, it did seem pretty suspicious…

The doctor was incredulous. _"What?! That… that's horrible! I may be Benezia's daughter, but I'm nothing like her. I haven't spoken to her in years! Please, just get me out of here!"_

_She'd either have gone through a lot of trouble to set up a trap that might not even work, or she legitimately needs help,_ Shepard thought. Despite feeling apprehensive about the situation, Shepard went with his gut. "We'll find some way to help you out of there," he said.

Stark relief stood out on T'soni's features. _"Oh, thank you! There's a control panel in here that should deactivate this thing. You'll have to find some way past the barrier curtain."_ She gave him a sheepish look. _"That's, um… the tricky part. The defenses cannot be shut off from the outside. I don't know how you can get in here."_

_"Be careful,"_ she pleaded. _"There is a krogan with the geth, and they've been trying different ways to get past the barrier."_

"Another krogan, eh?" Wrex asked, popping the vertebrate in his neck as he stretched. "This could get fun."

"We'll be back soon," Shepard promised, signaling to the rest of the team. "Let's find a way through this shield."

A rifle round struck the barrier behind them, breaking the momentarily lull in combat. "Contacts front!" Alenko shouted, putting up a biotic barrier to cover their descent on the catwalk. A multitude of geth "flashlight heads" shone from the pre-fabs, emitting a series of clicks and electronic noise.

Wordlessly, the team returned fire, suppressing the enemy as they advanced down into the cover of the cavern. _There wasn't much they could do to help the doctor until the geth were cleared out,_ Shepard thought, his face a mask of concentration behind his helmet as he landed several hits on his target.

Alenko dropped his barriers once he found cover. "Commander, the geth brought Dragon's Teeth to the pre-fabs, like the ones they used on Eden Prime."

Shepard dared a look from his cover. Sure enough, the impaling devices stood tall amongst the miners living quarters… some of which were already occupied.

Tali looked over to the lieutenant, eyes wide. "Keelah, so the excavation team…"

"Yeah," Shepard said grimly, aiming down his rifle scope. "Just another reason to clear these bastards out." The remark was punctuated by a geth's head exploding in the distance, showering the ground with synthetic matter.

Despite the engagement at hand, they still had the problem of getting inside of the prothean tower. There were no interfaces for the barriers outside of the ruin, and it was clear that they didn't have the firepower to punch through them.

Shepard surveyed the cavern with exasperation. There might be some demolition charges that the team had stocked back in their pre-fabs, but with the geth holed up back there they would have to clear the buildings room by room, and the geth could have all kinds of opportunities to ambush them.

His eyes settled upon an object resting upon the volcanic rock on the left. At first glance, it looked like a hunk of metal or a supply crate, but after a closer look it was clear that it was actually an industrial mining laser. _Hmm…_

"Alenko, cover me. I think I've found our way inside that ruin," Shepard said as he hurried over to the device. Surprisingly, no geth fired upon him when he moved, but he shrugged it off as being lucky.

The Alliance soldier gave him a pensive stare, but kept his gun trained on the pre-fabs. "This better not involve a PAC, Shepard. Already had one too many on this mission," he said, nodding in Wrex's direction.

Shepard shrugged as he interfaced with the laser's controls, bringing up the firing mechanisms and aimed the device below Dr. T'soni's position. "This will probably have a lot of collateral damage, but at least it won't be directed towards us."

Before Alenko could respond, the now primed mining laser sounded a high-pitch warning siren, signaling that the laser was starting up. The laser flashed, blasting through the volcanic rock as if the obsidian and basalt were made of tissue paper, searing a hole to the prothean tower.

A cloud of dust saturated the air, caking the filters of Shepard's mask. He could hardly see in front of him, save for the alien glow of the prothean lighting below.

"Let's move! Into the tunnel!" he called out, hoping that the heat and dust provided them with enough cover from the geth's sensors. Surprisingly, no shots were fired at them as they ran in, though whether or not it was due to the lack of visibility wasn't clear. It was all a little too suspicious, as if the geth _wanted_ them to find a way in.

The four of them dashed into the prothean structure, the harsh artificial light standing in stark contrast to the dark and ashen cavern. The prothean chamber they found themselves in seemed to run the length of the tower, extending both up and down connecting to a honeycomb of rooms, all sealed off by the barrier curtains.

"Walls of rooms and sterile lighting… protheans sure built things homey," Wrex grunted.

A terminal sat adjacent to the central structure in the room, displaying a surprisingly simple hologram that pointed up. _Must be a lift_, Shepard thought, and without spending any more time placed his hand on the console.

The moment Shepard touched the hologram the floor beneath them began to shift, lifting them upwards to the next floor of the tower and locking with the central structure. The central platform they now found themselves on showed every indication of being a large elevator, but with the protheans, anything was possible.

The doctor was still suspended in the energy sphere, though she turned her head to try to identify the sound of the lift.

"How, how did you get in here?" she said, shocked at their success. "I didn't think there was any way past the barrier!"

"Well, not conventionally, anyway," Shepard said wryly. "We blasted through with the mining laser."

"Ah… of course, that explains the noise I heard earlier," she said, nodding to herself. "Please, get me out of here before more geth arrive. That console over there should shut down this containment field."

The console sat opposite of the field, nestled against the wall. The design depicted a variety of symbols and designs, yet it seemed somehow… familiar, in a way. A flashing icon apparently showed the barrier's activity; as soon as Shepard pressed it the hologram went dark and the field dissipated, dropping the previously trapped asari with a _thump._

The doctor brought herself up with a groan, stretching and getting her bearings. "Thank you for releasing me. I… I know this might not be the most prudent thing to ask at the moment, but who are you?"

"I'm Commander Shepard of the Alliance Navy and Special Tactics and Reconnaissance. These are Wrex, Tali, and Lieutenant Alenko," Shepard said, gesturing to each of them.

"A… a human Spectre?" she stuttered. "That's… no, never mind. Thank you, all of you."

"Any idea how we get out of here?" Tali asked.

The asari nodded. "There is an elevator back in the center of the tower… at least, I think it's an elevator. It should take us back up to the top of the dig site."

The odd collection of aliens walked to the central control console, the asari pouring over the device. "I… this is still a lot for me to believe. Why would the geth come after me? Do you think Benezia's involved?"

"Saren's looking for the conduit. You're a prothean expert. He probably needs wants you to help him find it," Tali explained.

The look the asari gave her was one of pure confusion. "The… Conduit? I don't know about any—"

A loud crashing could be heard above, followed by several distant rumbles and quakes.

Wrex glared at the ceiling. "What the hell was that?"

T'soni began to search the console hurriedly, pressing several buttons in sequence. "These ruins un stable. That mining laser must have triggered a seismic event! It sounds like the whole cavern will start caving in!"

"Damn it!" Shepard cursed, raising the comm again. "Joker, what's your ETA?"

"Four minutes Commander. Something I should know going on down there?"

The prothean elevator shook as a section of the wall crumbled next to them, shorting out the barrier curtain that Dr. T'soni had been trapped behind. "Just double-time it!" Shepard yelled.

"If I die in here I'll kill him," Wrex growled as the elevator shook again.

"That can be arranged," a bass voice said from behind them.

Shepard turned to find himself a short distance away from the krogan the doctor had warned them about, who now approached the elevator platform with a dozen geth flanking him. "Surrender. Or don't, it's more fun that way."

The doctor hurriedly pressed a few final keys that made the elevator start to rise, but the krogan and the closest geth managed to leap onto the platform before it left them behind.

Shepard glared at the offending krogan. "In case you hadn't noticed this place is falling apart!"

"Exhilarating, isn't it?" The krogan grinned, "Thanks for getting rid of that energy field for us. Hand the doctor over."

T'soni balled her fists angrily, a biotic glow forming around them. "Whatever it is you want you're not getting it from me!"

"Yeah, she'll stick with us, thanks," Shepard taunted. Several more rocks crashed down from the ceiling, indicating the rapid deterioration of the ruins integrity.

The krogan's grin quickly turned to a scowl. "Not an option. Saren wants her, and he always gets what he wants." He looked toward the geth that accompanied him. "Kill them, spare the asari if you can. If not, doesn't matter."

The elevator reached the top level, shuddering and stunning its passengers. The doctor dropped to the ground, but Shepard quickly motioned for her to stay down.

"Finally, a fight!" Wrex said, roaring a challenge to the other krogan. The geth had both sniper rifles and rockets, but before they could fire off a shot the leftmost unit stuttered and turned on its allies. "Geth hacked, Commander!" Tali called out, fingers a blur at her omnitool. Both he and Alenko took aim at the other geth, taking advantage of the distraction to pick off two of the others with several quick bursts of fire.

The krogan bellowed as it charged headlong into Wrex, glowing with biotics. Wrex lost ground, but quickly threw the other krogan back, putting enough space between them for him to draw his shotgun. His first shot struck the opposing krogan square in the chest, and even with kinetic barriers the krogan snarled with pain, retaliating with a blast of its own. Wrex closed the distance between them, using the butt of his shotgun as a cudgel, aiming for the krogan's head even as the other krogan was able to block it. The two grappled with each other, forcing each other to their limits…

Shepard fired several shots into the enemy krogan's side, causing him to flinch while Wrex finally got a hold of his shotgun, and unceremoniously blew his enemy's head off.

"Goddess!" T'soni cried. "Are all krogan so—"

"Yeah, yeah, let's go pyjak!" Wrex said, heaving the terrified doctor to her feet.

"Let's go! Move!" Shepard shouted as the entire elevator shaft began to shake and veritable boulders fell from the ceiling. After surviving a geth attack, dropships, and rescuing the doctor, he was damned if he or any of his team was buried alone with the ruins. The team scrambled out of the elevator shaft just in time as the entire tower began to shudder, collapsing in on itself as rock and lava came down on top of it.

"Uh, Commander, getting some serious readings on the Richter scale down there—"

"Not now!" he roared, avoiding a falling stalactite as they ran along the ramp. The noise was extraordinary; if he hadn't been wearing a helmet with aural intake dampeners he was certain he would have collapsed to cover his ears. Seeing as Wrex was now carrying the doctor, it seemed that he wasn't the only one.

At last, they reached the constructed excavation tunnel that led down into the cavern, though it too groaned and shuddered with the stress of the seismic activity. "Tali, the doors!" Shepard cried out, reminding her to unlock them. The quarian brought her omnitool out to interface with the doors as she ran, opening them remotely as the team neared. Dust and rubble surged forth behind them, kicking up in a cloud that shot out of the tunnel just as they raced outside.

"Commander, you all right?" Williams' voice crackled over the comms. "What the hell's going on? The lava pools are going nuts!"

If he could have jumped for joy, Shepard would have just then. The Mako and its team had not only held off the geth dropships (which seemed to have vacated the area), but it was still there as an avenue of escape. It looked like it had suffered significant damage, but it didn't matter at this point. Survival was on the line.

"No time! Open the hatch!" Shepard gasped out, his breathing ragged. Their dead sprint only ended once they were past the ash-strewn rocks and walkways and into the Mako's cabin, as each of them piled in with little concern for comfort or placement. Garrus and Williams could only stare at the disheveled team for a moment, mouths open in shock at their appearance.

"What the hell—" Williams began, managing to stop herself as the Normandy SR-1 flew into view.

"This is Normandy Airlines to all groundside passengers, we have arrived," Joker's voice rang throughout the Mako. "Stand by for standard docking procedures that obviously must occur during any situation, especially an erupting volcano."

The Normandy's loading ramp lowered itself as the ship hovered roughly three meters above the unstable ground. "Basically, run and gun it. That volcano's gonna blow, so it's now or never."

Shepard didn't even need to give a command as Williams hit the petal to the floor, driving at the damaged vehicle's full speed before engaging the thrusters. A collective gasp went through the cabin as the Mako belly-flopped onto the cargo hold floor, the doors pulling up to seal them in.

The sound of heavy breathing was all that broke the silence in the Mako, each member of the team staring at one another.

"So…" Garrus ventured. "How were those ruins…?"

"Garrus." Shepard growled.

"Yes Commander?"

"Shut up."

* * *

_PAC: A predecessor to the M-920 Cain, the Alliance utilized the Particle Accelerator Cannon, or PAC, to provide anti-vehicle capabilities to their infantry. Capable of accelerating a traditional 25 gram high explosive round to upwards of 3km/s, the PAC is not intended for close engagements and is recommended to be used at distances of 20 meters or greater._


End file.
